Sparks and Snowflakes
by araconos
Summary: Jack found Tara shivering in the cold, lost and alone near the North Pole. She turns out to be his polar opposite - and has a shocking connection to Pitch. But when she needs his help more than anything in the world, will he still be there for her despite her shocking truth?
1. New World

Tara hated him touching her. Hated the feel of his rough, grease and booze stained hands attempting to convey whatever misplaced feeling he had at that moment - joy, sorrow, _love, _or, god forbid, _anger_. She scooted away from the contact instinctively, wondering why she even bothered staying in this god-forsaken house, sharing a roof with _him_. But then the front door slammed and she remembered why.

For a moment, she was suddenly, inexplicably mad at her brother. It was his fault that she had _let_ that _thing_ lay a hand on her, as she stood by the door, waiting. She rubbed at her leg and hip slowly, easing tense and aching muscles.

At least the bruises were hidden this time.

But the moment passed and he walked in, her loveable, beautiful, wonderful older brother filling the doorway with his tall, lanky frame. He laid his pack on the floor, the worn leather creaking from wear as he set it down. He stood erect to his full height, those shoulders that were always there to cry on, that slowly spreading smile, those bright blue eyes behind that too-large nose he always hated and she loved. She ran to him, smiling, pains and fear of the day left behind as she held him.

"Welcome home, Pitch."

She stumbled across the frozen wastes, scared. Thoughts flew through her head, confusing, distracting. She forced them to settle. The 'Why am I here?' and 'Where is here?' quited down, and she forced the other question as far back as she could. She needed to live, and thoughts did nothing but induce fear.

Fear was useful, but not what she needed right now.

She tripped on a slippery patch, and fell to one knee, scraping it. The blood, hot and welcome, stained the hem of her shift red before it froze solid. The freezing wind blew her black hair back from her face, snowflakes nearly carving it off as the blizzard tore her apart. She wore nothing but her thin shift and undercloth, and the cold was turning her blue. Still, she pressed on.

I will _not _let fear rule me. I will **not**. Her will power drove her on, forcing her to take painful, barefoot step after step towards what could very well be her death. But she had seen a whisp of smoke before the blizzard had hit her full force, and she knew that smoke meant fire. Fire meant warm, and safe. But it also meant people, and questions with answer she didnt have. But it meant alive, and that is all she wants.

Who is she kidding?

She falls down, splitting the cut open even wider as blood pours out, only to be frozen again. She curls into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest, crying tears that only freeze her eyes open. Good. At least she can face death with dignity now.

Cold. So, so, so cold. _Im... tired._ She thinks. _Yeah, this is just a dream, must be. Ill just go to sleep, and when I wake up, Ill be home, and safe, and -_

Where is home? The question spills out. She doesnt know. Where is this? Why are you here? Why can't you get up?

Who are you?

She gives in, the blizzard already coating her in snow. At least her grave will be clean and pure.

As she closes her eyes, she swears the wind and snow stops. She almost belives there's someone there, someone with pure white hair and a shepards crook. He must be an angel, right? Here to help her to... Do angels escort people to Hell as well? She laughs. _Good to go with a laugh, then. Something to rub in old Horn-Heads face when I go to see him..._

The white hair leans in to her face, and says something. She doesnt have time to answer before the snow turns black and fear takes her in, finally claiming her at last.


	2. New Faces

"You found her out... there, you said? In the middle of that bloody blizzard?" Bunnymund asks. "A thing like her, in nothing but a... nightgown, traipsing about in the middle of the worst snowstorm the Pole has had all season?" He scoffs. "What the hell is going on?"

Jack just shrugs, moving the girl in his arms slightly as he does. She moans softly, raising her hand slightly, bringing her hands up slightly before dropping them.

Jack frowns. "She... She doesnt have frostbite. Thats not possible. Thats..."

"Well, she may not have been out there for long. I mean, it takes a few minutes to get frostbite, right?" The rabbit asks, dropping to all fours to bound back a step as Nicholas drops in from the catwalk above.

"There is much you do not know about the cold, old friend." The big man rumbles, shaking as he laughs. "It is very, very cold out there, friend. This much cold would kill a girl her size faster than frostbite could set in. But, you said she had walked far, yes, Jack Frost?"

"I first found her by the footsteps I saw when I was flying here. Then, after nearly three miles, I found blood, then I found... her." He gently carries the girl over to a bench and goes to set her down, when her arms fly up and wrap around his neck, squeezing him tight. His eyes fly open, and he stands there for a while before he realizes she is shivering. She's colder than he is.

"Well, one thing is for certain, then." He says as he turns to sit down on the bench himself, still cradling the girl.

"Whats that?" Bunnymund asks, scratching behind his ear with his hind foot, stopping when he realizes people are there with him, and immediately shoots up to his full seven feet. He glares at a couple of giggling elves, taking his boomerang out and threatening to throw it at them. One of the elves throws his arms up in mock terror and walks away. Satisfied his honor is intact, he resumes scratching in a much more... human way, with his forepaws.

Jack, oblivious to the rabbit's embarrassment, looks down at the sleeping girl as she mumbles something softly and relaxes her grip enough for him to set her down a bit.

"If she can survive nearly four miles in a blizzard that big, wearing just a dress and working _against_ the wind..."

"... She is not human." Nicholas completes.

"Most definitely not. Im willing to bet she's new - very new - and doesnt have control of any power yet. Otherwise she could have used a _faster_ mode of transportation." He looks out the window to the hole in the roof, seeing a sliver of green light behind a cloud as the storm fades away. North had summoned the other guardians here a few minutes before he had found the girl. The only one left to arrive was Tooth. Sandman was in the cookie-baking room, drying the water out of his sand, not knowing about their newest member.

"I wonder what her power is?" North asked. Bunnymund shrugged.

"God only knows mate. She must be important though, because she showed up right about the time Manny contacted you."

There was a flash of emerald as Toothiana shot past the window, zooming in though the open roof, coming to a hover next to the group as Sandy floated in, dissapating his sand towel with a final pout. He was still a little... Damp, Jack noticed with a small smirk. Sandman, noticing this, raised a tiny fist, an image of a boxing ring appearing above his head.

"No, I dont want to have a go at it, Muddy. Besides, a fight between us would end with you even wetter, after a while. I could have Wind give you a blow-dry, if you want?"

Sandman scoffed, but suddenly the wind picked up and he disassembled as a small hurricane appeared around him, water splattering a yeti behind him. Phil groaned, but then the wind hit him as well, leaving his hair standing on end and the large yeti visibly shocked. He stumbled off, desperately trying to pat the hair back down while chasing for the papers that had flown out of his hand.

The Sandman re-formed, smacking a hand against his head, a few drops of water pouring out. He glared at Jack, but Jack just shrugged and made some mumbling comment about passing wind that no one heard.

"Soooo, North. Why are we all here? Did the Man in the Moon contact you?" the Tooth Fairy asked, smoothing some water out of her wings as three of her daughters flew out, safe now that the freezing winds were gone.

"Indeed he did, friends. Just before the blizzard hit. I think we know the reason, but -" The burly man was cut off by a series of outraged chirps as Babytooth discovered Jack's new friend.

"Oh my lord, Jack, why didnt you tell me you found a girl? And you brought her here on the winds in that... Getup? Honestly, I thought you were better than this." Tooth said as Jack turned a lovely shade of rose, rapidly shaking his head no, his arms still trapped under the girl. Babytooth crossed her arms and flew to her mother, chirping furiously.

"Relax, Toothiana. This is why Man in Moon wanted us here, da, Bunny?" North said, elbowing the rabbit in the side. "She is... immortal, like us. Frost found her on the way here, shivering in the cold. She tried to walk." The giant man laughed, shaking his entire body as he did. "Can you believe it? She must be very, very new to her life if she cannot travel fast in some way. Moon only told me to summon you before the Blizzard hit." Phil walked up and handed him the papers, smoothing down the last of his ruined hair.

Jack smiled nervously. "See? Nothing wrong here. She's just very cold, so I brought her here, and now she wont... uhm, let go of me." He said, looking down at the girl in his lap, just now noticing how pretty she was. Her long black hair fell down over the edge of the bench, and her thin eyebrows were curled down in a slight frown as she slept. She had a delicate, slightly upturned nose and a pouty lower lip. Her eyes were a nice, dark brown color, and... they were open. Her eyes were open.

The two stared at eachother in shock as they both realized they were very close to someone of the opposite gender. A very attractive member of that gender... that they had never met before. Jack smirked nervously. "Well, ah, good, uhm, good morning." He stuttered.

The girl studied him for a moment, then laughed. "I dont have a clue what your name is, but you're pretty damn adorable. But, uhm, can I get off your lap now?" She said, drawing the other guardians attention. She suddenly realized she had her arms around his neck and hurridely drew them back, scooting off of his lap and onto the bench, looking across to see a ... seven foot tall rabbit?

"Not like it was my idea to find you in the snow and carry you here only to have you lock me in a death grip." Jack grumbled. He looked to her and saw her jaw practically on the floor. "That would be E. Aster Bunnymund, more commonly known as the Easter Bunny. Yeah, he's real." Jack smirked as she closed her jaw.

"Um... whats Easter?" She asked, blinking.

All of the guardians swiveled to look at her - four in astonishment, one in anger.

"Oh, alrighty then, I see 'ow its gonna be. Jack put you up to that, didnt he? 'That'll put the kangaroo's tail in a twist.' I, for one, do not appreciate the... the um... are you quite alright, there?" He said, slowing down his rant as he noticed that she had balled up in fear as he started talking. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs as she scrunched away from him.

"Why... why is it talking? What is it?" She asked, trembling.

Toothiana sighed. "You really are a mistery, little one. I don't think anyone has ever been... scared of Bunnymund." The girl turned to her, and her mouth opened wide as she took in the small woman, hovering three feet above the ground in a shimmering flurry of emerald, blue and gold.

"You're... You're beautiful!" She gasped. She had never seen something more beautiful and elegant in her life... or had she? Suddenly she remembered what she didnt remember, and she slumped back down, her legs going back up to her chest as she was suddenly hit by that lovely bit of information.

"Why, thank you. I dont get told that very often, seeing as the people who can see me wont see me and the ones who do see me are too manly to be nice." Tooth smirked, giggling as the men turned various shades of red. "Oh, I do think this'll be fun. I dont get any girl time anymore, outside of my daughters and all, but they dont really count." Her helpers pouted, making tiny 'hmmph' noises. Babytooth settled down on Jack's shoulder, pointedly ignoring the girl as she hugged him.

"Im sorry... but, who are you people? And where am I?" She asked, bringing the focus back to her and her... lack of knowledge. "I honestly dont have a clue what you are talking about. Not being able to see? Whats going on here? Sorcery?"

"Da, introductions are in order. I am Nicholas St. North, AKA Santa Claus -" he said, pointing to himself, then frowning as she didnt register "-And these are my fellow guardians, Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy, Sandy, the Sandman - You met bunny - and Jack Frost, the, ah, Jack Frost."

She simply shook her head. "I've never heard of any of you. Sandman, Santa, Tooth _Fairy_, the giant talking hare - I know what Frost is though. Are you all Demons? Am I really in hell?" She asked, blinking slowly as she looked around. Not seeing any fire and brimstone as her preacher had promised, she assumed they were hiding it in another castle. For this was truly a castle - the high arches, the workers(they must be demons as well, they certainly looked it), the soaring terraces and the bustle as the people went on doing whatever it was they did.

The guardians looked at each other, astounded. Jack suddenly turned to her. "So, what year is it?" She turned to him, surprised. "Where is your home?" She jolts back, not knowing. "Do you have any family that misses you?" She starts to cry softly, knowing the next question will hurt the most.

"What is your name?"

The guardians sit quietly as she struggles to think of an answer, any answer. None comes, but then suddenly a quick burst of moonlight floods the room and she lights up, even after it fades. The guardians look up to the sky, but Manny is already covered by stormclouds again. They turn back to her as she starts talking.

"It is year Four-Hundred and Ninety-Three in the name of the lord's rebirth." She proclaims, smiling. "I live in a small cottage on the edge of the river Thame with my brother and... father." She picks up speed, her grin growing, oblivious to the stunned looks of the guardians. "My name is Tara Black."

She looks up, suddenly worried. "Have you seen my brother? I dont know when I last saw him. He must miss me terribly."

"Uhm.. Sure, we might have. Whats his name?" Jack says, rubbing his temples. 493 AD? Surely it cant be true... he thinks, but that revelation is blown out of the water by her next statement.

"His name is Pitch. Pitch Black. He's my older brother and I love him more than anything in the world." She beams, smiling at the guardians.


	3. New Powers

She stood at the window again, this time with her hands against the glass, her breath fogging up the glass. Look through it, not at it. Look at the frozen snow, the icicles, the path that Pitch should be coming up any second now. Don't look at it, or you'll see yourself. She didn't feel like looking at bruises again today.

She felt pain coming from places everywhere - a cut on her arm, bruises on her legs, one of her ribs felt cracked. Today had been one of the worst so far. _He_ had been in the drink for far too long today, and for some reason she reminded him of mother every time he looked at her. So she tried to hide when he was this far gone, but today he had come looking for her and found her in the woodshed, sobbing with fear.

He had tried to _love_ her at first, cooing, slurred words telling her how perfect she was, how much she looked like her mother. How she was beautiful. God, she hated him. When she didn't respond to that, he turned to anger.

When that didn't work, he resorted to force.

Tara hated being trapped here when her brother went to the mills. She hated that he was out there, brightening someone elses day with that sharp wit and that smile, when she was here in the dark with _him._ She swallowed, and tasted blood. Thank god her father had fallen asleep afterwards, too drunk and worn out to get up for hours.

Pitch found her curled up under the window, staring at the ground when he came home. He ran to her side, noting her various injuries, telling her soothing, kind words she didnt want to hear. Things like 'It's ok, im here now.' He was never here when she needed him, why did she bother even wishing he could help? Pitch couldnt fix things. He just covered them with rainbows and fairydust, hoping she would be too blithering stupid to notice that the world was a dark place, with no home for the dreams of dragons or knights, hopes of being a princess someday or any other stupid idea he had ever heard. She told him that when he was bandaging the cut on her arm.

"You dont... fix anything, Pitch." She said, wincing as he wrapped it tight. "You're a dreamer. You can't fix anything real."

His hands stopped moving for a few seconds, then he continued, wringing a wet clothe to wipe away the blood on her knee. "I... I know, Tara. I'm trying as hard as I can to get the money to move away, I swear. But it just, it takes a while, ok? I need to to be strong. Someday, you'll marry some strong, dashing man, and he'll save you from everything when you go live in his -"

"I DONT NEED YOUR DREAMS, PITCH!" She screamed, shocking him back. She sniffled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she continued. "Who are you kidding? You'll eventually get money to have a new house, but you'll live in it with some girl, and I'll live on the streets. No man will ever want me. No man wants a wife who isn't... pure." She said, sitting on the edge of the table.

"He... He didn't..." Pitch mumbled, eyes wide. "He did... That, to you?"

"Yes, Pitch, he raped me, you idiot. It's been going on for years, how the hell did you not notice? Pain is easy to take. Im not scared of bruises and cuts. Im scared of... myself. Of being alone when you leave me." She said, looking down.

Pitch didn't answer, walking slowly down the hall, leaning against the wall with one hand.

"Pitch, where are you going? Pitch?" She asked, trying to stand but falling to the floor instead, her knee not supporting her weight.

"Im... Protecting you. That is all." He mumbled. "Taking care of a problem. Fixing things for once.

It was only as he opened the door to her fathers room did she notice the knife in his hand.

The guardians stood, staring at her in shock as she smiled at them. "Do you know him? I realise you probably don't, because we must be... far away from home right now. But he's about half a head taller than me, and he has black hair and bright blue eyes. His nose is a little too big and he hates it, but I think it looks downright handsome on him. He has a way with people, and he's always joking around and building something useful. Why, the other day, he made a sort of thing he called a 'top' that spins around and makes all sorts of weird noises. He's... um. Do you know him?" She rambled, stopping when she noticed the guardians collective look of shock.

They all looked at eachother, then back to her. Then back to each other. The silence stretched on as the guardians stumbled for a suitable response.

Tooth was the first to speak. "No, im afraid we... haven't seen your brother. But we'll keep an eye out for him in our travels. Now, im sure you'd like a shower and a change of clothes, right?" Tara stared blankly at her, uncomprehending. "I mean, you'd like to bathe, and you need a new dress." She nodded, smiling. "Ill show you to a room. North, could one of your yetis find something warm for her to wear?"

"Uhm, Niet. I mean, Da, of course we can! This is Santa's workshop. We will always have what children need." The big man said, smiling as Tara blushed.

"Thank you. I have many questions for you all, so dont you dare go... where ever until im back." She said, shaking a finger at them. Tooth grabbed her by the arm and led her down the hallway. "So, what exactly is a shower?"

The other four guardians looked at each other, confused, astounded, and maybe a tiny bit worried. "She does not look like a bad person, does she?" North asked, scratching his beard. "Man In Moon must have brought her here for reason. He spoke to her, you all saw."

"We can't just assume than Manny likes her. He did leave her out in the middle of the tundra, for Pete's sake. I don't trust her." Bunnymund replied, sitting back on his haunches. "I bet she's here to finish what her brother started. Wouldn't surprise me. Why, I bet that..."

Jack went to defend the girl, but was stopped by Sandman shaking his arm. Jack turned to the smaller guardian, trying to decipher what he was saying as pictures flashed above his head, things like a question mark, a calendar, a moon and even, for some reason, a dolphin. "I think she said she lived somewhere around 493 AD, Sandy. I dont believe either, right?" That said, he rushed over to the bigger men. "Did you see her, Bunny? Did that look like the face of evil to you?"

Sandman thought for a second, wondering why that time seemed important. He thought back through a dozen centuries, smacking his forehead when he remembered what had happened then. He rushed over to the other three, waving his hands, but no one noticed him.

"I say we need to lock her up somewhere until we know for sure she isn't here to avenge her brother." Bunnymund said, as Sandy tried to draw their attention. "If he even is her brother. The Pitch she described doesn't fit the Pitch I know. Do you honestly think he could be a loving older brother?"

"But she described what he looks like exactly!" Jack said. "You can't tell me that's a coincidence. Same name and he happens to look just like him, but they're different people?" Sandman jumped up and down behind them, waving his arms faster than Tooth's wings, but to no avail. One of the elves, noticing his plight, sighed miserably. He pulled something out of his pocket that looked strangely like nasuea pills and walked over to the short man.

Sandman looked down at the elf as the elf pulled on his hand, slowly moving his head from side to side, shaking the bell. Sandman smiled, mouthing 'Thanks.' The elf nodded and downed the pills, bracing himself.

The three guardians looked over at the ringing noise as Sandy shook the elf, finally getting their attention. He set it back down, patting it on the back as it fell over, dizzy, desperately trying not to hurl. Satisfied with their silence, he made a few symbols over his head.

"O' course we'll translate for Jack, Sandy." Bunnymund said, patting the small, golden man on the shoulder. "We know he aint all that - proficient in understanding you quite yet."

Jack sputtered, raising his hands. "Hey, I've been getting better, ok? He loses me sometimes on the faster stuff, but I get the gist of it."

North laughed, a deep, booming sound. "Sandman has been slow for you, Jack Frost. You have not seen him talk before, not really." Sandman grinned, then let loose with a series of images so fast that Jack got a headache instantly.

"Uhg... you need one of those 'warning: may cause seizures' lables, Sandy. Good god..." He sat back, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "So, um, yeah, Bunny. I could use a translation."

The taller guardian held up a paw as the Sandman continued. He began to rub his chin in thought. "Well, if thats the case, you may be right, Sandy. She really might - and I stress, _might_ - not try to kill us. But that certainly puts a perspective on things, doesn't it?"

Jack nearly pulled his hair out. "What puts a perspective on things?" He fumed as Bunnymund continued to mull it over, and North nodded slowly.

"Da, if this is true, Man in Moon must have gotten her before that happened." The burly man turned to Jack. "Sandman says that the year she mentioned, 493, was the year he and Pitch came into existence. He also says that, seeing as Sandman had a life before this one, Pitch very well could have had one too. And it could have been a good one, if this girl who says she is his sister is to be believed."

"Wait, Sandy, you were human once too?" Jack said, looking at his golden friend. He shook his head, smiling.

"Sandman was a young, young boy when Man in Moon took him. He doesnt like to talk about it, but Sandman was not... handled very well in his day and age. A mute, daydreaming child was next to useless in a world that had no time for dreams." North said, sighing. Sandman looked down, a little embarrassed. "Man in Moon took him, said he could dream all he wanted - and help others see his dreams as well. Was simple choice, no?" Sandy looked up, smiling.

"So, Pitch could have had a life... before his other one?" Jack said, crouching down on top of his staff, one leg dangling. "Huh. I wonder what _that_ miserable existence could have been like."

"Its very likely Pitch did have a previous life. And I dont think it was all... bad, if his sister is to be believed. I mean, she sounded like she cared for him. A lot." Bunny said, leaning on the console of North's globe.

Jack snorted. "I doubt it. Who on earth could have loved... that?"

"So, tell me more about... Pitch. You said that was your brothers name, right?" Tooth said to the shower curtain, steam making her feathers wet. The three fairies she had brought with her sat on the windowsill, chirping to eachother. Babytooth still looked pissed. Tooth was sitting on the sink, adjacent to the shower. "So we can... find him easier."

"Well, for starters, he loves making things. This shower thing would have amused him to no end. He probably would have taken it apart by now, trying to see how you got the water to go UP a tube." Tara chuckled. "He always has his head in the clouds so high you'd swear he had wings. Never seems to let gravity get to him. Unless he's protecting me, of course."

"Really? Why does he have to protect you? You look like you could take care of yourself." Tooth swung her legs, trying to picture the Pitch she knew as the one Tara spoke of... and failing.

"I know, I tell him that. But there are some things you cant protect from, you know? And he's there for me when I need him. Ever since mom died, he's pretty much been my only family."

Tooth frowned. "Didn't you say you lived with your dad, though?"

No answer came from behind the curtain for a few seconds. "Yes, we live with my... father. But about three years after I was born - three years after my mom died - he lost his leg in an accident at the shipyard. He hasn't been the same since. Pitch says he was nice once, but now... His only friend is the bottle, and anyone who isnt a friend is an enemy." Tara sounded bitter as she spoke about him, and Tooth decided not to press the issue.

"So where did Pitch get his name? It's not exactly common."

"Oh, when he was born, my mother made some stupid joke about his hair being blacker than pitch and tar. Pitch kind of stuck as a name for him, and, well, my father finished the duo when I was born. Mother would have hated the name, how ironic it sounded, Pitch has told me. But she died minutes after I was born, so she didn't exactly get a say, did she?" Tara laughed bitterly.

"Im... so sorry, Tara." Tooth said, looking down between her feet at the floor.

"Being sorry for something that isnt your fault is like trying to martyr yourself for a cause you dont believe in. Don't be sorry unless it's your fault, and only then if you like the person you wronged." Tara said, chuckling. "If I had six-pence for every time Pitch has said that, I'd be a queen."

"You really love him, dont you?" Tooth said, tracing patterns through the steam on the mirror. Her daughters flew over, landing on her shoulders.

"Of course I do. He's my family, my anchor, my dock in any storm. I wish he were here - he'd love this place."

Tooth took a deep breath. "Tara, there's... something you need to know. About... where you are." Under her breath, she mumbled "more like... when you are." She took another breath, then steadied herself. "You... missed quite a bit of time, Tara. A few years. Quite a few, actually."

Tara paused for a moment. "Oh...? How many?"

"Uhm, about... one thousand, five hundred and eleven, give or take."

Her statement was met with silence. After a few minutes, Tooth asked, "Are you... alright?"

"Oh yes, im fine. Just... a little upset."

"About what?" Tooth said, nervously shuffling her feathers..

"Oh, nothing much. Everyone I know is more than likely dead, time seems to have forgotten me, and im surrounded by things that look like some deranged child's daydream. But, most importantly... I missed the 500 year bash! And I had my dress picked out and everything!"

Tooth sat on the counter, still for a few seconds, until Tara burst into laughter. "For gods sakes, I wish I could see your face! Don't worry about it, little fairy. The only person I actually liked was my brother, and I can guarantee that if i'm here, he's either here too or he's going to find a way to get here."

Tooth grinned. "You're that sure of it?"

Tara scoffed. "Of course im sure. He's my brother. If I left him forever, he'd go absolutely crazy. Probably try to take over the world or something." She poked her head around the curtain. "Can you hand me that cloth? ...Is something wrong?"

Tooth had her jaw wide open, staring ahead into space. She shook her head, handing Tara the towel. No, nothing was wrong. But she had a horrible feeling Tara would find out something she wouldnt enjoy soon. "No, just... thinking."

The was a knock at the door, and a quick blurb of yeti-speak as Tooth jumped off of the counter and walked to the door, her wings too wet for her to fly for a little while. She opened the door up a crack, smiling as Santas helper passed a bundle of clothes in. "Lets get you dressed, shall we?"

Tara's jaw dropped. "I cant wear... those! Are you kidding me? And what on earth is that?"

The men were still in deep discussion as the girls returned. North turned. "Toothiana, Tara, welcome back. Did you enjoy your shower? Oh, and I see Phil found something for you to wear. Good, good." The other three continued talking. Sandy looked over, and, seeing the girls, elbowed the other two.

"I'm telling you, there's gotta be a reason she's here, and I don't - oh. Welcome back." Bunny said, his voice betraying little emotion as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the console again. Jack turned too, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

North continued "Did you not like what I had Phil send you? That probably isn't very warm, but it does look good, I must say."

Tara blushed, pulling at the straps of the black dress. The fabric was so... soft, she didn't understand it. It must have been magic, there was no possible way any sort of fiber or hide could be this smooth. The dress was tight around her body, pressing into curves in a very, very embarrasing way - especially with that white-haired boy staring at her like that. She swallowed, hard. "I didn't want to wear those... mens clothes you sent me. A shirt and... jeans, was it? It just felt... wrong." She shot Jack a glare, and he slammed his mouth shut, turning a lovely shade of pink. The dress ended a little below her knees, showing far too much skin - but Tooth had insisted that it was absolutely normal in this day and age, and the heavy skirts she had requested were weird and out of fashion.

Jack tore his eyes away from her, feeling very foolish for being caught staring. Why on earth was she wearing... that? Did Tooth have any idea how attractive she had made Tara? He looked over to the fairy, glaring as he noticed her whistling softly, pointedly not looking at him. He walked past her, headed for the bench he had been sitting on earlier. As he passed, he whispered "Just because you have wings doesn't make you cupid. Besides, she's _Pitch Blacks Sister._ I'm not interested, anyways, so leave me out of this." Tooth just smiled, faking innocence.

Tara pulled at the constricting cloth, feeling very naked even though the dress covered mostly everything. The strange undercloth that Tooth had struggled to help her put on - a 'brassier?' - was almost as uncomfortable as the straps that she had thrown out along with her torn shift. It had taken them a long time to get it on right - Tooth staring at the door as Tara had somehow managed to get both her arms trapped behind her back with the offending material. They eventually managed it, but her daughter fairies had had to help - but the one she called 'Babytooth' had seemed unnecessarily rough.

The said fairy now sat on Jack's shoulder, trying to get his attention as he very obviously tried not to look at rolled her eyes. Boys, no matter what age or time they came from, were so damn obvious. She reached back and touched the braid Tooth had put her hair in - it felt a lot better than having it down her back all the time. And having someone touch her hair in a way that wasn't violent felt... nice, actually.

"So, Tara. We have many questions for you. I trust Tooth told you about... the year and all, yes?" Tara nodded glumly. But she light back up after thinking for a second. "I bet my brother will be here any minute to find me, you know. Whatever magic or curse brought me here, he will find a way to come get me and bring me back." The guardians looked at each other, then back to her.

"Yes... Pitch Black, you said it was, right?" Bunnymund took a boomerang from his belt and examined it as if it displeased him. "See, we have a bit of a problem there. This... Pitch fellow - I get the feeling we know him."

North looked to Bunnymund, then nodded. Tooth gasped. "Bunny, are you sure this is the right time? I mean, she has no idea where she is, and I highly doubt this will help her any." However, Tara had damn near flung herself at Bunnymund.

"You know him? He's here? Where is he? Did he say he came for me? Has he been waiting for me? Can we go see him? Is he happy? Why didn't you -" Bunnymund put his paw up to her mouth, silencing her.

"Oh, he'd been around for a while, little thing. Somehow, I think you know that though. Isn't that right, Tara Black? Did you come here on his orders?" He let the girl go, and she backed up, only to bump into North, who had rolled his sleeves up, revealing the 'Naughty' and 'Nice' tattoos. Sandman stood next to them, summoning a sand whip, and Jack raised his staff slowly. If she was going to attack, now would be the time.

Tooth flew in next to Tara, wrapping her arms around the girl. "Back off, boys. She means no harm. I swear she has no idea what Pitch was." The other guardians, taken aback, stopped their advance as Tooth embraced Tara. They took a few steps back, enough to give her some space, but not far enough that they couldn't retaliate if she attacked.

Tara, her eyes open wide, turned to the fairy. "What... What are you talking about? Where is my brother?" She grabbed onto Tooth's arms, holding her at eye level. "What aren't you telling me?"

Tooth looked to the other guardians, but they just stood there, silent. She sighed. "Tara, all of us here have gone through what you have gone through. We lost our memories for a little while, and some of us lost some time - not nearly as much as you have, however. We think you are a being like us - chosen by the moon to be immortal. However, for that to happen, you have to... die." Tara let go of her arms, but Tooth grabbed the girl's hands, holding them tightly. "We have met your brother before, Tara. Or... what he became. I think that when you died, Pitch... Snapped. He turned into something other than what you remember him as. Something... broken. He became an immortal as well, but he ruled over a very, very strong power - fear. He ruled for years and years as a monster, in something called the Dark Ages, that nearly brought humanity to its knees."

Tara shook her head slowly. "No... That's not Pitch. Pitch isn't evil. He wouldn't hurt a soul..." But she knew she was wrong. She remembered images of her brother, things that scared her. Him holding a bloody knife in his hand, using it to fend a mob away from the door of their house. Him standing over a dead body, smiling as he cried. Pitch standing on a wooden platform, a noose around his neck.

Her brother, hanging in the wind as the town cheered.

Tooth continued. "We were created to combat him. After a long struggle, we finally brought him down, and he became powerless. Until a few months ago, when he rose back up and tried to take the world again. He almost won." Tooth shuddered, remembering how weak she had felt when no one had believed in her. "We managed to beat him, and..." She looked down to the floor.

"He was torn apart by his own minions." Bunnymund said from behind her. Tara's head shot up, her eyes open wide.

"No, please god, no..."

North shook his head, saddened by the girl. He rolled his sleeves down. "It is true. His NightMares, as he called them, smelled his own fear, the only fear left in the world for them to hunt for. They attacked him, dragged him down to the bowels of the earth, and... that is all." He laid and hand on Tara's shoulder as she slumped down, her head in her hands.

"It's not true. This is just a nightmare. Just a bad dream..."

"Im afraid not, lass. Your 'lovely older brother'" -Bunnymund sneered those last words out - "Took all those with him. Good riddance to good rubbish, I say. I, for one, am glad that monster is out of here. Makes my job easier.

Tara's shoulders stopped shaking. "What... Did you call him?" She stood up straighter, her back still to the rabbit.

"I called him a monster. Thats what he was, I'm sorry to say. The brother you say you knew died a long time ago - if he ever existed." He snorted, his black nose flaring. "Pitch Black, actually loving something besides himself? Ha! I bet he was just playing with you for his own benefit. Pitch never loved anything in this world." He looked down, putting his boomerang back into his belt. "Just get over it, eh?"

Bunnymund went flying back into the globe as the fireball hit him in the chest. A dent formed in the middle of South America and the lights went out all over the globe. "Aw shit..." he mumbled, looking down at the patch of fur on his chest, seared off in the middle and burnt black around the edges. His head fell back, and he slumped, unconscious.

The floor around Tara was burnt black, the pure heat radiating off of her scorching it. Her hair had turned from black to a deep red at the roots, becoming an orange color and fading into a sunset-yellow at the tips. Her hair was currently standing up straight, giving her head the appearance of a lit candle. Her eyes had turned from brown to deep, radiating red, and fire dripped down her face to the floor, lighting it briefly before going out. Her dress had grown down, covering her feet, and turned into the same shades of red as her hair, giving her entire visage the look of a fire as she shook angrily.

"My brother is not a monster. He is not 'trash,' he is not 'evil,' he is not 'manipulative.' He is kind, and wonderful, and... and..." Her hair fell back down to her back, and the flames running down her face turned back into tears. "And he's... not... dead." She fell to the floor, curled into a ball, and cried herself to sleep.


	4. High Places

"Monster! He went for his father, now he's going to go for us!"

"The gallows is too kind of a fate for him! Feed him to the dogs!"

"People, people please, listen to me!" Tara yelled. The crowd stopped its fury and turned to her. She ran up to the wooden platform where her brother lay, trapped in the stocks as the crowd threw stones and insults at him. "You all know my brother! Would he have killed without reason?"

A few of the people in the crowd looked at her, then mumbled to their companions. "Pitch is a nice boy, you know."

One of the more bloodthirsty men stepped forward. "Nice boy he _may_ have been, but fact is he's a murderer. Now, whatever the reason, there's no excuse for murdering a father! We know that your father was blind to everything but the bottom of a glass, but your brother had no right to kill him -"

"You are a fool. A coward, a fool, and far to willing to spill blood for no reason." The man stood back under the force of Tara's rage. "My father was worse than that. He was angry at the world, at my mother... at me. I have wounds that will never heal because of what my father did to me. I have broken bones, scars, and a wound in my pride that will never heal. Because of my father, no man will ever want me!" The mob grew quiet, shocked. "He... He raped me as I slept, then beat me when I awoke. He confused me with my mother, then... he..."

The man stood back, ashamed. He turned on his heel and left. The crowd parted for him, then a few began to leave with him. Soon most of the crowd had dispersed, until only a few remained, up on the platform, comforting the crying girl and removing her brother from the stocks.

"It's gonna be right as rain, Tara. Your brother will be fine. Surely the tribunal will see that what he did was in defense, not in cold blood. Everything will be fine." The old woman smiled down at the girl, stroking her hair as she cried.

If only the crone had been right.

Tara bolted awake, scared. Where was she? The bed was much too soft to be hers, much too comfortable. Why was she..?

North. Jack. Tooth. Sandman. That infernal rabbit. It came back to her as she woke up. She was in Santa's workshop, on the very top of the world(Which was round. That still confused her. How come people didn't fall off if it was round?). She was in a room that North had carried her to as she cried. She had cried because...

Oh no. Pitch... Couldn't be dead. He wasn't dead. To be dead, he would have had to be evil, and Pitch wasn't evil. Firm, strong, overprotective to a fault, but evil? Never. He let spiders outside instead of killing them, for Christs sake. But if that rabbit was to be believed, he was, indeed, dead and gone. She laughed, sadly. She hoped that he had burnt his fur off. She giggled at that, imagining the seven-foot tall hare with no hair, dancing around trying to put his tail out as it burned.

Wait... burned? Had she... burnt him?

She held her hand in front of her face, recalling what she had done. Tooth had said she was an immortal, with control over some power. Did she control... fire?

She looked at the palm of her hand. Fire had always... fascinated her. When she was only a few years old, Pitch had told her about a time when she had gone missing in the middle of the night. He had run around the village, yelling for her, only to find her near the massive fire in the middle of the town, hands only inches from the flames as she stared into the center of the flames, watching it dance.

She looked at her hand, thinking about fire. How it moved, dancing, flickering. Yes, it could burn villages to the ground, end lives, and destroy worlds. But... She loved it. It always seemed so safe to her. Without even thinking about it, she snapped her fingers, and sparks flew from their tips. When she opened her hand, a tiny flame sat in her palm, warming it. She laughed. The fire grew, expanding, filling her hand. Her laughs grew louder, and she lifted her other hand, holding it over the ball of flame, now the size of her head. The fireball turned into a small doll, its body not moving, but its head flickering like a candle. She moved her hands, and the little man started to dance.

She watched the fire dance, then decided she wanted to dance with it. She waved her hands into the air, and the flame grew as tall as she was, forming into a man in full dress, with coattails of dark red and orange ruffles on his shirt, his head nothing but a yellow flame. The fire bowed, and she curtsied, giggling. The fireman held his hand out, and she accepted. They danced around the room, slowly at first. She noted that his feet left flames on the floor, and she snapped her fingers. She didn't know how, but she knew that the fire would no longer burn anything.

They waltzed around the room, her laughing, the fire seeming to flicker with enjoyment. Suddenly he spun her in a circle, and the music in they dance to must have become a jig, because they split apart in wild, careening circles. Her fireman fell to the floor, balanced on his hands only, moving his legs around in circles underneath him. She clapped in delight, and he did a flip, holding his hand out to her, as if saying "your turn."

She cleared her throat, then kicked her shoes off into a corner. She raised the hem of her skirt, bent her knees slightly, then burst into a flurry of dance.

Oh, if the people in town could see her now, how they would stare! This was not a dance people expected of a young lady - showing far too much leg, kicking too high, and her skirts flew up when she twirled. The fireman clapped his hands to the beat, and she waved her hands once more, giving him a violin. He began to play a lively tune, and she kept on dancing, never once pausing her laughter.

Suddenly, as the fiddler began to reach the creshendo of his song, she held one hand above her head and balanced on the toes of one foot. She began to spin, kicking her other leg out on each spin, twirling faster and faster. This dress was much to heavy, she realised, and turned it into one a lot like the one that Tooth had had her wear earlier, tight on her upper body but flowing loose below her waist. She spun, and spun, twirling to the music, and suddenly she was in the air, feet above the ground, dancing like fire itself. The music stopped, and she floated down to the ground, panting for breath. She heard applause, and she bowed as she unsummoned the fireman.

Much to her horror, the applause continued.

She snapped her head up to the door and realized that North, Tooth, Jack and about every yeti in the factory was applauding her performance. She screamed. "Out! Out out out out out!" She waved her hands, and the door slammed shut. She heard a muffled yelp, but she buried her face in her pillow and ignored it. So embarrassing... but at the same time, she realized she was proud. She sat up, and sheepishly went to open the door.

"Well, did you enjoy the show?" She said, smiling. The guardians nodded, save Jack, who was holding a lump of rapidly reddening snow against his nose. She gasped. "Oh, im so sorry, did I hit you with the door? Here, come in." She said, inviting them into 'her' room. The yetis dispersed, leaving to do their jobs, talking eagerly in their language.

"That was good dance, Tara. Where did you learn to dance like that?" North said, still grinning.

Tara grinned back. "Oh, I lived in ireland for seventeen years. Everyone there has seen someone dance like that before. It's very fun to watch, but not accepted as very lady-like." She grinned mischeviously. "Doesn't mean I can't have someone teach me, though."

Tooth laughed. "I wish I could dance like that. Im terrible on my feet. I did, however, notice you left the ground there for a little while. Is that something they teach you in Ireland as well?"

Tara blushed. "I don't have a clue how that happened. I was just dancing, and suddenly... I was flying."

Jack smirked. " 'ah don see any windgs, so ahm guessing 'oo 'have a 'ind helpin 'oo out." He said, the ball of snow against his nose making him hard to understand.

Tara stared blankly at him. "What?"

Jack sighed. He pulled the ball of snow away from his face, then threw it out the window. "I said, you dont have any wings like Tooth does. So im guessing you have a Wind assigned to you. Cupid has the east wind and some hot-shot named Astresous has the west wind, so im guessing you, being hot and all, have the south wind." Tooth raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. Jack blushed, holding his hands in the air. "I mean, as in heat."

Having no idea that hot had multiple meanings, the looks went unnoticed by Tara. "Well, why does is have to be the south wind? Theres also the North one..."

Jack scoffed. "You can't have the North one because he's mine. Boreas is too cold to be your wind anyways." The wind in the room picked up, blowing her hair back and forcing her to take a few steps backwards. When it stopped, Jack grinned.

Her wind blew the smirk off of his face as it blew him right into the wall. She laughed, then tried taking a few steps _up_, imagining that there was a staircase under her. When it held and she was floating a few feet in the air, she smiled, looking up only to get hit in the face with a snowball. She sputtered. "Alright, Snowflake. You asked for it." She snapped her fingers, forming a fireball to throw at Jack. He dodged, and it burst against the wall. North ran over to it, only to discover it hadn't even scorched the wallpaper. He nodded to Tara in appreciation.

"Can you two take this outside? Tara could use some flying practice anyways, and my feathers don't handle being covered in snow very well." Tooth smiled at the two, who were shooting daggers at each other. They both nodded, then flew out the open window. Babytooth squirmed unhappily on her mothers shoulder. "Oh, calm down, squirt. He's too big for you anyways."

About seven snow/fireball fights, three races, a dance-off, an ice-sculpture contest, a game of hide-and-pelt-each-other-with-snow/fireballs, a much needed shower and a quick lunch, Tara decided Jack wasn't all that bad. His hands were too cold all the time and he wouldn't stop staring when he thought she wasn't looking, but he was fun to be around and he always had some sort of new game to try out. She floated into the main room, her shirt flapping as she fell down from the top balcony. She had finally decided to switch into 'jeans' and a shirt, because the dress billowed in exactly the wrong moments. Lucky for her, Jack was not like the boys in Forrough, and had the decency to look away. Her wind - Notus, she had learned was his name - seemed to agree with her opinion of him. He seemed to like playing with the north wind, because there always seemed to be a tornado or five formed whenever she and Jack were in the same room. For example, there was one forming in front of her right now - so that meant that...

She spun around, making a quick shield of fire in front of her. Steam floated into the air as it evaporated the snowball. She blew a few stray hairs out of her face as she dissipated the firewall. She half-heartedly threw a fireball back at him, but he just used the wind to blow it out. "Can't sneak up on me, Snowflake."

Jack snorted. "Stupid winds blowing my cover. Woulda gotten you good, too." He flipped over and floated lazily on his back, looking up through the sunroof. Tara floated up next to him.

"So, what was your life like before you became... Jack Frost? Did you have any siblings?"

Jack smiled. "Yeah, I had a sister. She meant so, so much to me. Just like... Pitch meant everything to you. Thats how -why - I became a guardian. We were trapped on a lake in the middle of the winter, and the ice was breaking. I pulled her out of the way with my staff, but the momentum pulled me into her place. The ice broke, and... thats all she wrote."

Tara wrinkled her nose. "Your sister wrote?"

Jack laughed, sitting up. "No, she didn't. I forget you're about 1500 years behind the times. It's a saying, it means... and thats the end of that." Tara nodded her understanding. "Oh man, you missed sleds, didn't you?" She just sat there for a moment, then nodded blankly. He chuckled. "I have an idea or five for our next adventure.

Tara laughed, slugging him in the arm. "Lets give it a break for a while, alright? I want to explore the factory, and we almost got kicked out during hide-and-seek."

"I told you not to hide in his office space, Sparks."

"But there were so many toys! I just had to check it out. I didnt mean to stay there, but you went and hit him with a snowball." She laughed as she remembered Norths face, suddenly awoken from a nap by a snowball meant for her that was blown off-course by Notus.

"You gotta admit that was funny though. He pulled out that snow-ball cannon he made last year and blew out almost all the windows."

She just laughed. Tooth flew by them, followed by her entourage of fairies - five more had joined her this afternoon, complaining about her absence from their home. She was talking into a tooth-shaped phone, saying something about a dentists strike in france ruining the children's teeth. "No, Pierre, I don't care if your union doesn't give you surplus benefits... Fix your own teeth! You're qualified!"

She smiled and waved to the two. She cupped the receiving end of the phone with her hand. "Sorry, duty calls. You two have fun, I can't race right now. Maybe after?" She said, until a particularly loud comment drew her back. "Well, I never! I hope your molars rot!" She buzzed off, arguing with 'Pierre.' One of the fairies - Babytooth - stopped and pouted for a second, but Jack didn't notice her. She glared at Tara. Tara simply stuck her tongue out at her, wiggling her eyebrows. Babytooth shot Jack one last glance, then flew off, arms crossed.

"So... What exactly do guardians do? I know Tooth collects teeth, Bunnymund drops eggs everywhere like rabbit dung-" She and the rabbit still didn't have the best relationship "- North gives presents to children, and Sandman sends people dreams. "And you... Wander around, messing with people for the fun of it." Jack started to retaliate, but slumped down when he realized she was right. "But what's the point? Is there a method to your madness?" She had picked that saying off of Jack, and she enjoyed using it.

"We..." Jack sighed. "We create happiness in children. We give them something to believe in, something to be happy about. Something to believe in. Tooth captures good memories, stores them away for the darker days when they are needed most. Santa brings joy in the middle of winter to every child in the world, letting them know that life isn't always cold and there is always something to look forward to. Bunnymund ushers in spring and new life, spreading joy across the world in a very weird way, but still a useful way. And Sandy gives them something to keep them happy in the middle of the night, so they don't have to be scared of the dark. And what I do may seem like rambling around the globe, but I'm a free spirit. I can be anywhere at any time, so I'm there for anyone who needs something to believe in when the others are too far away. We all protect the children we can in every way that we can."

Tara looked at him. "What do you protect them from now?" Jack just looked at her, uncomprehending. "According to you, my brother was everything evil in the world you needed to defend against. What do you protect them from now?" Jack shook his head.

"Oh, I wish that your brother was our only problem. Fear isn't the worst thing out there. It may be the most common, but there are other things far worse. Like pain, or greed, or vanity. Things like that. Everything that humanity and its children have to fight against, we are there to fight against with them. Always have been, always will be."

Tara laughed, shocking Jack. "Always have been? Where were you when I needed you, then?" She fell down to the ground, walking towards her room. "Where were you when I needed someone to defend me, protect me, keep me safe at night?" Jack fell down and followed her. "You didn't exist then, Jack. None of you did. The evil creature you insist my brother turned into, didn't even exist." She turned and walked away from him.

Jack ran up to her, grabbing her shoulder. She grabbed his hand, twisting his arm around behind his back, slamming him into the wall. "Ow... Shit." He mumbled. "Are you trying to break my nose again?"

She let go, and Jack turned around. "Do you know who taught me how to defend myself like that, how to fight people off? Pitch did. Do you know who was everything you described your precious 'Guardians' as? Pitch was. He was there for me. He gave me dreams, hopes, something to hold onto. And when fluff and fairydust wasn't enough, he took a knife to my father to protect me." Jack just gaped at her. "You don't know who Pitch is - was, Jack. Don't assume he was evil because he did something you didn't like." She turned and continued walking down the hall.

"I don't assume he was evil, Tara. I **_know_** he was. He tried to ruin the lives of every child everywhere, and damn near got away with it. He almost killed me and my friends, almost sent the world back into the dark ages. Face it - your brother died long ago, and that _thing_ wasn't him." Jack ran in front of Tara, holding her by the shoulders and stopping her.

Tara looked up at Jack, her hair floating up until it looked like a candle again. "Move." Her eyes grew to a deeper red color than they already were, and his hands started to steam.

"Not until you calm down and agree with me. I understand that you _think_ Pitch couldn't have changed. But he did, and the change was not pretty. Please, if you'd just forget about what he used to be -" He stopped as she drove her knee into his gut.

"Out." She chopped his back as he doubled over, making him stand up straight. "Of." She sweeped his legs out from under him, making him fall over onto the floor. "My." She picked him up by the back of his shirt - damn, she was strong - and set him, wobbling, on her feet. "WAY!" She yelled, slamming both of her palms into his gut. Her wind accompanied the blow, picking him up and sending him flying down the wall, off the balcony, through the center of the workshop and causing him to make another dent in the globe, this time in Asia. Phil groaned, slamming his hammer onto the console. He had just fixed the last dent, too.

Jack wheezed, his wind picking him up and setting him down gently on the floor. "...Medic..." he mumbled.

"Remind me... not to piss her off again."


	5. Burning High

The little girl ran, her bare feet padding down the dirt path. She was near a village, but she didn't have the breath to scream for help anyways. She crossed through the shallower parts of the river, praying it would turn the dog off her scent, to no avail. They were too close, anyways. They'd find her, and bring her back, and it would just be worse than last time.

She stumbled, falling over a root that twisted up in front of her. She got up, continuing to run, only the noticing the wooden crosses that filled the large, open area she had walked into. A cemetery. She ran, hoping that she could find someone to help her before they caught up to her.

She heard someone crying a ways away, and ran towards the noise. There was a young woman there, clutching a what looked like a book to her chest, kneeling in a worn grey shift in front of a grave. The girl ran to her. "Help... Help me!"

Tara looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. Two years, and it never got any easier. "What... Why are you here so late?" The girl looked worried, terrified. Tara heard voices coming from the distance, and the girl ran and hid behind her back.

"They're gonna get me and bring me back and I dont wanna I dont wanna go back I just want to go home..." The girl prattled, terrified out of her wits. Tara stood straight, turned slightly to the side as three men walked into view, one of them holding the leash to a dog.

"Well, boys, looks like we got ourselves a bonus for our little journey." The one holding the leash said, and the other two laughed, one of them going behind Tara's back to grab the girl. The other two looked at Tara with what could on;y be described as feral hunger, and she clenched her fist. She knew men like these. The girl had to be saved from them.

"Girl, run to the path behind me and take a left. Run until you reach the village, then wake up whoever you can and send them here." Tara put her arm out to the side, holding the man back. "I'll hold them off here." The men simply laughed at her words, the man she held back grabbing her arm to push her aside.

Tara reversed his hold, grabbing his hand and twisting it behind his back until she heard a snap. The man howled, glaring at her. He struck out with a fist, and she dodged, moving to the side, _towards _the other two. The girl didn't understand, until Tara looked at her out of the corner of her eye, motioning her head. The girl turned and ran, unnoticed by the men as they surrounded Tara.

The man with the snapped wrist nursed his wound, glaring at her as she took a ready stance. She heard a snarl behind her and whirled as the dog flew at her, saliva dripping from its teeth. She quickly turned to the side, grabbing the leather leash as the dog rushed by, holding it up. "Im sorry." She whispered, reaching down and snapping the dogs neck.

"You bitch! I spent a queenface on that dog!" The largest man said, cracking his knuckles. Tara simply turned sideways to him, raising one hand in front of her. He laughed. "A little spitfire, eh? Good, I like 'em fighting. Bring it on, lass." His laughs were ended by a foot in his throat as she dashed forward, keeping her weight on her back foot, her toe pointed and smashing into his windpipe. The man grunted, falling to the ground with his hands around his neck. She turned to the other two.

The man with a broken fist backed up, but the other man just smirked and charged at her, hand raised to punch. She simply stepped to the side, turning as she grabbed his arm, using his momentum to trip him to the ground, flipping over on his back. She used all of her power to slam her knee into his gut, causing him to pass out. She smiled, but suddenly shook as something hit her from the back. Why was it so... cold? She turned, looking at the knife that had slid into her ribs, held by the man who's wrist she had broken. He sneered at her, pulling the knife out in a rush of crimson. She fell to her knees, then to the ground as the pain hit her.

"Should have..." the largest man grunted as he sucked in a lungful of air. "... Saved something. Now we dont have anything to go home with for a profit." The other man just shook his head.

"Do you honestly think we could have tamed... that?" He said, kicking her in the side. "Naw, she would have fought tooth and nail. Best that we get rid of her. Shame. She was a pretty thing, though." He said, kneeling down to the ground, holding her face up to his. She spat on him, more blood than spit coming out. He slapped her, dropping her back to the ground, then kicking her with all his might.

"Come on then, grab Todd and lets go before someone gets here." She looked up to the sky as her sight started to dim. At least she had saved the girl...

The last thing she saw was the moon, bright in the sky. It seemed to smile at her, winking as everything went black.

Tara woke up, surrounded by ashes. What had happened? She wondered, surveying the damage done to the room. The bed she had been on was no more, reduced to a pile of powder. The paint on the walls was scorched, burnt black, and there was a layer of soot on the ceiling. Good god... What had she done? She looked over to the door, and saw people staring in at what she had wrought in her sleep. North looked shocked, Tooth actually looked a little scared and that infernal Jack looked... Guilty?

"Are you... alright?" Tooth asked. "We heard screams and, well, fire, so we came to see what was the matter."

"Im... Fine. Just had a... bad dream, thats all." Tara stood up, brushing ashes from her nightgown as she waved her hands over it. It shimmered, before turning into a red-and-orange pair of silken pants and a hooded sweatshirt. It had been three days since she had last spoken to Jack, and he still looked a little green when she caught his eye. "I'm terribly sorry about the room, North. Anything I can do to help fix it?"

North just laughed, a great booming noise. "No, little fire. Nothing needs to be done to fix it. If you wanted it redecorated, why did you not just ask?" He chuckled as Tara blushed. "It is fine. Yetis will fix. PHIL!" The yeti appeared, sticking his head around the door. He groaned and slapped his head, yelling something before running to go get cleaning supplies.

Tara walked to the door, brushing past Jack, giving him as cold of a shoulder as she possibly could. He sighed, reaching out to stop her, but pulling his hand back as she ignored him. "Look, Tara..." He began.

She turned to him, looking down her nose at him. "Was there something you wanted?" He turned an interesting shade of red and green as he ground his heel into the ground, looking away form her.

"I.. ah, uhm. Wanted to say sorry for, uhm, the last time I talked to you. And I wondered if you'd forgive me for saying that. See, I thought about it, and I realized I was wrong in saying what I did, so... Please forgive me?" He looked up, his eyes wide.

She just glanced at him, eyes hooded. "At least you know what you did was wrong. Theres a start." He looked to the floor, upset. Suddenly he gasped as a fireball hit him in the chest, catching his hoodie on fire slightly. He slapped himself repeatedly, trying to put the fire out. Tara giggled. "I forgave you days ago. But it's fun watching you tip-toe around as if the floor is covered in glass shards." He pouted at her, arms crossed. "Come on, you said you were going to take me sledding, right?" They flew off, Jack very obviously relieved and her grinning from ear to ear.

North just looked to Tooth. "We must teach her to... contain herself, yes?" Tooth just nodded. "This... This fire cannot happen whenever she gets angry. It could ruin... everything."

"I'll tell Jack to try to teach her to control it. He does say that elemental powers get stronger with emotion." She looked around the room, more than a little scared. "We cannot let her out into the world until... this... is under control. It could destroy entire cities, ruin almost everything. She must learn to keep it under control, and focused towards good. Until we learn what her center is, we have no idea what she is aligned with, and we have to know how to keep her power kept away until she needs to use it." She sighed, looking at the moon through with window. "I wish MiM would tell us something about her. Stubborn bastard."

Babytooth chirped, voicing _her_ opinion about Tara. Tooth glared at her. "Theres no need for drama, pipsqueak. It's about time you got back to work anyways." Babytooth sighed, then flew out the window, headed back to her home.

North stroked his beard, examining the room. "If she is good, this will be very good for us. But if she is not... We have big problem." As if in answer, a rafter creaked and fell from the ceiling, sending ashes flying through the air.

Jack still had no idea what to think of Tara. She was either the most amazing or most confusing girl he had ever met - she had the exact same humor he did, she laughed at all his stupid jokes, and he never seemed to be able to stop grinning stupidly at her. But every so often, he would look over and she would be next to tears. And god forbid he mentioned Pitch around her - talk about mood swings.

At the moment, the duo were trying to see how far up they could fly before the winds abandoned them. Jack looked over at Tara, smiling as he caught her staring at him. She simply grinned, the wind blowing her hair back, making her look like a comet in flight. Soon the air grew thin and their winds could no longer support them with ease, so they dropped down about a hundred feet.

"The first step to containing your power is to find your trigger thought." Jack said. They were floating about twenty feet apart, and he had to shout to make himself heard above with winds. "Your trigger thought is something you think about that sets your emotions off the hook. If you don't contain your powers, they will spill out of you at maximum power." As if in example, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, the temperature dropped a few degrees and a storm of snow and ice surrounded him. He took a few deep breaths, and the small blizzard died down. "Your turn. Find your trigger thought."

Tara stared down at the ground, so small from up here. If she fell, would the fall kill her or the winds save her first? She looked back to the other times she had... blown up. She grimaced when she realized how well that term worked describing her. _Death scares me, but not to the extent of "Turn into the apocalypse and destroy everything." _She thought, absentmindedly tossing a fireball in-between his hands. _Pitch dying makes me sad, but not angry. _Unnoticed, the fireball grew slightly larger. _Pitch being... evil makes me... terrified. But not..._

"Good work, Tara." Jack said, nodding. She looked down. The fireball was damn near the size of a large boulder, hovering in front of her. She realized her hair was standing on end again.

"But thats not... It." she mumbled. _What sets me off more than anything?_ Pitch deserved more than what he had. She did as well, she knew it. She thought back to every time she had used her power, and any time that she had stood up for something before. _What sets me off more than anything is... wasted potential._ She clenched her fist. People dying before their time, people being used for something they were never meant to do. Children being forced into containers smaller than they were, forced to grow... stunted. Being to scared to do what they could really do.

Jack stared in horror. Tara had become comepletely enveloped in flames. With more than a tremor of fear in his voice, he yelled out to her. "Now... Imagine a safe, thick enough to hold that power. And... Lock it away." She didn't respond, and the flames grew larger. She was surrounded by nearly twenty feet of flame, burning away clouds as they came near. The flames kept getting bigger. If he didn't stop her, she could burn a hole through the atmosphere. Tara's eyes were closed, and she had the fiercest expression he had ever seen, her mouth pressed closed, hair billowing above her, flames coming from the corners of her eyes.

Jack had to stop her. He threw a cold breeze at her, but the flames just... absorbed the air, growing bigger. They began to turn into something... darker than her usual flames. He used the wind and snows, trying to put it out, trying to freeze it, trying to do _something._ But the fires turned from the bright, playful red to a light blue, to a green, to a dark, dark purple. He used as much wind and cold as he could, but it was just eaten away. He only had one other way.

Jack began to press into the inferno, covering himself in a layer of rapidly melting and freezing ice. The fire seemed to press him out as he went in, and he had to use more of his power to keep him from getting burnt. He passed through multiple layers, the outer one being blue, into a darker blue, then a purple, then something so dark it was almost black. He forced himself into the last layer, and it was a startling, blinding white. He was just feet away from her when his power ran out, and the flames burnt into him.

It was hot. Searingly, painfully hot. He gasped at the pure, blistering agony, then pressed on. His hands were just inches away from her. He stretched out, watching his skin turn red and blacken. His fingertips, black and peeling, touched her forehead.

Her eyes shot open, and he pulled back. They had no white, no emotion showing, but pure, unadultered rage. They were a pure red, like the flames she loved so much. They burnt into his worse than the fire did.

"Now... seal it in. Lock it in." She stared at him, uncomprehending. He didnt know how much more of the fire he could take. He forced himself forward, wrapping his arms around her. She gasped, then she slowly raised her arms to hold him. They burned where they touched, leaving red marks where she touched him, leaving two hand-shape scars that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

"Anger cannot, _cannot,_ be your fuel." Jack said, slowly slipping into unconsciousness. As he passed out, he stopped resisting against the pushing force of the fire, and it blasted him out. He fell as if shot from a cannon, the wind too weak to support him. Tara blinked, the red slipping from her eyes. She took a deep breath, and the fire suddenly suck in as if being pulled by a vacuum. She smiled.

"Thanks, Jack... Jack? Jack!" She said, whirling, unable to find him. She spotted him, nearly a mile below her, falling like a stone. "Go. GO!" She yelled, the winds blasting her down as fast as they could.

But she was too slow to outrun gravity. There was a little less than a mile until Jack hit the ground, and a fall at this speed would kill him, immortal or not. She couldn't catch him before he hit the ground, unless she sped up. "I need... to save him." She whispered.

There was a massive booming sound as she broke the sound barrier, fire trailing from her feet in a massive arch, as she nearly quardupled her speed. She tackled Jack in mid-air, forcing herself to pull up, but going too fast to do it that quickly. With one hand wrapped around Jack and the other out below her, she shot another burst of flame, then another. Each one slowed her down a little more, but she was still headed towards the ground with enough speed to kill them both. She swung her feet below her, and fired one more massive blast, crashing into the frozen wastes below.

That last blast saved them, turning the solid ice into a slush, cushioning their impact. She gasped, cold, as Jack woke up. She could see the cold of the ice healing his burns, but the worst of them remained. She dragged them out of the crater, setting Jack on his side, hovering her hands over the burns. His sweatshirt had burned off, and she could see the scars she had left him. "What have I done?"

Jack raised a hand, placing it on her cheek. Steam rose from the contact, her tears melting the ice that had formed on his hand. "You did it, Tara. You found your trigger, and sealed it away."

She shook her head. "I found my anger, and I found something else. Anger cannot sustain fire for too long - it burns too hot, too bright, too fast." She put her hands over the burns on his chest, _willing_ the fire to come out. It came out of his body, slowly, the burns fading away as she locked the fire away inside of her. She rolled him over onto his back, noticing the burns shaped in the form of her hands. She went to take those away, but he stopped her.

"Leave them. Im fine." She looked at him, confused, but he just smiled. He didn't know why he wanted her to leave the burns there himself, but it just seemed... right. "I could always use a reminder of why _not_ to piss you off." He said, chuckling. She just looked down, sad. "So... what do you use as fuel, if not anger? Fire needs something to burn."

She smiled at him. Her hand burst into a flame, but this one was a beautiful green, bright as springtime. She pressed it up to her face, and her eyes turned from flame red to that green color. "The need to protect those who need it most. That is my fuel.

Jack looked up at her. He raised his hand, pressing it to her cheek, and she leaned into it, holding onto his wrist. "You're going to be a great guardian."


	6. New Stories

Tara had been at the North Pole for three weeks - and she was getting _bored._ But North wasn't convinced that she had enough control over her power to go into more heavily populated areas, and she had to agree with him. Jack had made the mistake of trying to pin her arms behind her back, and his eyebrows were still growing back.

She sighed, leaning on the post of the balcony, looking down the center of the workshop. Tooth had left back to her factory, and Bunnymund had left a little while after, mumbling something about Easter being in five months, and he needed to make up for last year. She had a feeling it was for another reason, though. With both Tara and Jack at the factory, he had no hope of winning a battle of wits. He was on good terms with Tara now - fur grows back pretty fast - but he couldn't handle the constant banter.

Speaking of Jack... where was he? The winds were calm right now - as calm as Notus ever was - so he wasn't close. Tara decided to go find him. She dropped down from the balcony, not using the wind to stop her falls, but instead using a small, 'heatless pulse' from her hands to stop herself. She hopped, doing a flip, cartwheeling to the side. She giggled. The wind swirled around her, as if saying 'showoff.' She noted a small tornado to the left and followed it.

The tornado led her to Jack and North, who were deep in discussion. She hid behind a pillar, eavesdropping. She shushed the wind, and the tornado stopped.

"... I just don't see why she can't at least go there with me. No one can even see me except two people there." Jack complained. North stood, jaw locked and arms crossed. "I can't stand seeing her cooped up like this all the time. She can't do any danger to half of the inhabitants anyways. And she has great control over her power!"

North looked up to Jack's eyebrows - or lack thereof. "Niet. How do you think she will handle a walk-through? Is not good idea, Jack. She could get angry -"

"Do you think that little of her? That she can't handle being ignored?" Jack's withering reply surprised Tara and North. "Honestly, she can handle a lot more than you can think." He smirked, turning to where Tara was hiding. "Am I right, Tara?"

She peeped her head around the pillar, sheepishly. "Did the windbag give it away?" North chuckled, and Jack just rolled his eyes.

"You need to learn to breath through your nose if you're trying to sneak up on someone." Tara just blushed. "Please, North. She can handle herself. I trust her." He said, rubbing the scars on his back unconsciously. Her blush deepened, and she looked down to the ground. Gee, the tiles sure were... white today.

North studied the two of them, then grinned. "So, you want to take her on, date, yes?" Jack's jaw dropped, mortified. Tara just turned to him.

"Dates are a fruit, right? Will there be food where we're going?" Jack just mumbled something and glared at North.

"Da, go. It will be good, I think. No, I feel it! -" The big man grabbed at his stomach, shaking it. "- In my belly! Go, Jack. Take her, teach her. She must learn what it means to not be believed in sooner or later. Now is good time as any." He reached into his pocket, pulling out three snow globes. He whispered to one of them. "Take them... to Berk." He shook the globe, then threw it. A portal opened up, and Tara saw a small island through the hole. She jumped through.

North threw the other two globes to Jack, and he fumbled, almost dropping them. "Two?" he said, confused. North nodded.

"Take her to Aridel after." Jack thought for a while, then nodded.

"Come on, Jack! Lets go!" Jack smiled to North, then heeded Tara's summons and flew through the portal. It closed shortly after. North smiled, the grin splitting his beard. He stood there for a second, then remembered he had something to do. "Three weeks 'til Christmas! Much work to do." The big man bustled off.

"This... Is Berk. It snows nine months of the year, and hails the other three." Jack said as they flew down. She noted the viking ships, the houses, the people bustling about the small island in viking gear. "The air is salty, so any food that grows here is tough and tasteless - and the people who eat it are even more so." They landed on the ground, Tara smiling as she saw children playing. Suddenly there was a roar from behind them, and she whirled, her eyes widening. "The one upside to living here, though, is the pets. Where some places have ponies or parrots, Berk has..."

Tara finished his sentence. "... Dragons." The massive two-headed thing stared at her, teeth protruding from both of its jaws. It stared at them, curious.

"All dragons can see us. The people, however, can't. Most dragons give up trying to show us to their riders, but there is one who got his rider to believe us." Jack said, grabbing her shoulder and pointing to a large stone pillar. She could see some figures up on top of the spire. "My only believers are up there, on that pillar, waiting for me to see them. Lets go."

Tara looked at the people on top of the spire. They sat on a blanket, eating from a picnic basket. There was a boy and a girl, about their age - a little younger. The girl had her head in the boys lap, and he was tinkering with something that looked like a fishes fin. There were two dragons up there, a black one and a blue one, that were curled up around their riders, protecting them from the wind. She noticed that the black dragon was missing a fin on its tail, and that must be what the boy was working on. The black dragon noticed Jack and Tara, nudging the boy.

He looked over at them, and smiled. "Jack! Nice of you to drop by. We thought you weren't coming." Jack landed, and the boy got up and walked over to see him. Tara noticed that he was missing a leg, and had some strange metal contraption instead.

"Hi, im Jack's friend, Tara!" She said, holding her hand out as he walked towards Jack. The boy walked right through her. She gasped, feeling something - awful. It was like the worst pain she had ever experienced, but it was a pressure instead of a pain. It came with the worst pang of loneliness she had ever felt. The boy kept walking to Jack, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Jack looked to Tara, shrugging his shoulders. "Hiccup, how are you doing? I have a friend here I'd like you to meet." Hiccup looked back, shocked. "Where? Tell me his name, I'd like to meet him." The girl stood up and walked over to Hiccup. Tara jumped to the side, desperate to avoid that... feeling. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on Hiccups shoulder.

Jack smiled. "_Her_ name -" Hiccup blushed, realizing his mistake "- is Tara Black. She recently joined the Guardians - about three weeks ago - and North just let me bring her out of the factory." He gestured his hand behind the two, and Hiccup turned to Tara. He gasped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Did I walk through you?" Tara nodded. "Oh, damn. Im sorry." Hiccup said. "This is Astrid, my..." Hiccup blushed.

Astrid just rolled her eyes. "Im his girlfriend. He's still a total wuss about it, so we come up here to be alone instead of hanging around the village." She punched him in the arm. "Thats for being a wuss." Hiccup groaned.

"Honestly, do you have to punch me every time you -" Astrid silenced him with a quick kiss.

"Thats for being _my_ wuss." Hiccup just nodded.

"Yeah, that makes up for the punches." He said, eyes wide. He looked a little dizzy.

Jack grinned at Tara. "So, Hiccup. Tara here has an interesting power." Hiccup shook his head, looking to her. She snapped her fingers, making a fireball in her hand. Hiccup gasped.

"Oh, thats so cool!" He walked over to her, examining the fire. "Where does it come from? Can does it consume oxygen to burn?" Hiccup began pelting her with questions, asking all sorts of thing she had no answers to. After a few minutes, she looked over to Jack, begging for a rescue.

"So, Hiccup. She's pretty damn fast when she wants to be. I bet she could beat Toothless in a race..." The dragon lifted his head up, eyes hooded. Hiccup turned to him.

"Is that a challenge?" He said, cracking his knuckles.

Three hours later, the dragons were too tired to fly any longer and the sun had gone down. The younger ones waved their farewells as they flew off, headed home.

"Well. That was fun." Tara said, grinning. The fire-ball contest with Toothless had been fun, but Hiccup was a little scorched. "So, we headed back to the workshop now?" She said, brushing some ice off of her shoulder.

"No, we have one more stop first. Little kingdom called Aridel. I only have one believer there, but she's... well, you'll see. She'll be able to see you instantly, just so you know." Jack said, preparing the snowball.

"Jack, why did MiM make me a guardian?" Tara asked suddenly. "I don't understand it. I wasn't a good person in life, I don't run around giving away presents. Why would -" Jack placed a finger against her lips.

"He probably likes... this." He said, waving a hand at her.

"You just... guestured to all of me." She said, confused.

Jack just smiled. "Exactly." He threw the snow globe, and the portal opened. "Come on, Sparky. Brace yourself, it's gonna be... chilly, to say the least." She walked forward, accepting her hand as they stepped through the portal.

"Jack! You're here!" Elsa shouted, running towards the portal. She smiled as Jack stepped through. Finally. She had so much to talk to him, to ask him about, to - she stopped as he extended a hand back through the portal, leading a girl through. Oh god... She was... gorgeous. Elsa visibly deflated a little.

Jack turned, noticing Elsa, and waved. He frowned when she didn't wave back, just stared. "Hello?" He said, waving a hand in front of her face. She started, looking up. She smiled at Jack.

"Hey, Jack!" She said, hugging him. He hugged her back, smiling. "I missed you so much!" They began to talk as Tara looked around, getting used to the mountains they were on. There was so much snow. It reminded her of the Pole, she thought, turning to the other two. The snow around her suddenly melted as she noticed the two embracing.

"Well, I see you two are well acquainted." She said, glaring at the two. Elsa looked over, and the two locked stares. Jack began to feel more than a little awkward.

Elsa let go of Jack and stalked over to Tara, glaring up at the taller woman. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. The name is Elsa. And yours is...?" She said, holding out her hand.

Tara looked down at her hand, then back to her. "Tara. Im one of Jack's _close_ friends. We're both Guardians. I spend a _lot_ of time with him." She said, grabbing the other girls hand and squeezing. Steam rose from the girls hand, and they both looked down, surprised.

Tara pulled her hand away, rubbing it off on her dress as if it had something on it. Elsa just crossed her arms. "I can control the snow and ice, _just_ like Jack. We have a lot in common." Tara nodded.

"Im not surprised you have control over... cold." Tara said, sneering. She made a small fireball in her hand, then threw it at the other girl. She put it out with a burst of snow.

"Hey, hey, girls, lets just... enjoy the town, okay? Plenty of things to do that don't involve... violence." Jack said, suddenly seeing why North wanted the girls to meet. "Lets go check out your castle, yes?" Elsa nodded. Jack started walking, and suddenly had a girl latch onto both arms. They smiled up at him, then glared daggers at each other. Jack sighed. It was going to be a long day.

After a very... interesting day, the trio ended back up where they started. There had been a very intense snowball fight, a very competitive snowman building contest, and Elsa had almost lost her home while showing it off to Tara. They were back at the place they had started from, and they all stood rather coldly, the girls still having a staring contest and Jack still very put out.

Jack started to talk. "Well, its been fun, but -" Elsa held her hand up.

"Jack, why dont you go check the ice palace and make sure its ok after our... visit." She said, gaze still locked with Tara.

"But I already made sure that... Oh. Yeah, I'll go... do that." He said, stuttering nervously. He looked over his shoulder as he flew off, making sure that they wouldn't kill each other. "Who am I kidding?" He mumbled. "Someones gonna die."

Once he had left, Elsa rushed towards Tara. The taller girl braced herself for an attack, but stopped, shocked when the other girl grabbed her hands again. Elsa looked at the steam that rose up, studying it. Tara began to feel more than a little freaked out.

"Im not interested in Jack, you know." Elsa said suddenly.

"I know you are. I mean, you're practically... What?" Tara said, more than a little confused. "You don't... Why are you so jealous, then?"

Elsa laughed. "Oh my, you have no idea, do you. Why are you jealous?"

"Well, Jack obviously likes you. And you both have a lot in common..." She listed off. Elsa shook her head and laughed.

"No, why are you jealous, though? You have to have a reason." Tara blushed and looked at the snow. "Do you like him?"

"Of course I like him. He's great to be around, and he's funny and kind and he listens to me, and he's so... Jack." Tara said. "I mean, sometimes he's infuriating, and once he gets an idea into his head he will never, ever let it go. He has this cold face he shows to the world, but when it melts..." She smiled, looking to where he had last been.

"I can't make it melt, Tara. Cold and cold doesn't make anything but more snow, more ice, more frost. I can't make him a better person... and I don't want to. He's not someone I'd want to be with. Too... Masculine." Elsa said, looking at Tara out of the corner of her eye.

"Masculine? Are you kidding? Jack is the girliest guy I... know..." Tara said, looking at Elsa. She looked back, eyebrow raised, rocking on her heels. "You mean, you, uhm..."

"Yes, Tara. I don't like men." She giggled at Tara's obvious shock. "You're taking it better than my sister and her fiancee did. You see, I'm not jealous of you getting together with Jack. He's the only person who really, _really_ understands me. And I was worried, until a little while ago, that you would take him away from me. But I'm not scared of that anymore. Because if Jack is happy, I'm happy for him." Elsa smiled, putting a hand on Tara's shoulder. Suddenly she turned serious. "However, there is something I've wanted to do since you got here...

The blonde suddenly stood on tip-toe, kissing the taller girl on the lips. "There. I wanted to to that, at least once." And then she was gone, running down the mountain, leaving Tara bewildered on the mountain side, surrounded by melted snow. Thats where Jack found her, surrounded by water, staring down the hill with a little smile on her face, wondering about her new friend; the queen of ice and snow.

Tara was having another nightmare. Luckily she had enough control over her power that it only did minor damage to the room, but her screams woke up the entire factory. Tongues of flame flickered, scorching the newly-replaced wall papers, and she tossed and turned on the rapidly darkening bed. Jack stood in the doorway, putting out fires as they started, not daring to get too close incase the dream worsened. Suddenly Tara sat up in her bed, awake, covered in sweat from head to toe. Jack walked over to her, sitting on the bed with her. She let her head rest on his shoulder. This was the third night in a row the nightmares had hit her, leaving her this way.

Jack put his arm around her, holding her close. She was taking deep breaths in between sobs, desperately trying to calm down. When she finally did, Jack turned to her. "You never mourned for your brother, you know." She looked up to him, wiping tears from her eyes. "Mourning requires someone to talk to, and I doubt you had anyone to talk to - this life or the previous. Im here if you need to talk."

Tara just looked up to him, then rested her head on his chest. "They hung him in the town square" She whispered. Jack nearly didnt hear her. "His crime was patricide, and I plead that it was in defense of someone he cared for. Me." Jack pulled her onto his lap, her legs cradled over his right arm and his left arm under her back. "I was only fifteen when he died. I kicked, screamed, and fought with everything I had to get them to listen, to just _understand_, but they were out for blood." She made a fiery rope in the air, curling it into a noose. She shook her hand and it tightened, then disappeared.

"I know you hated the one you knew, but the one I loved was everything to me." She began to cry, warm tears landing on Jack's shoulder. They turned to steam and floated to the roof. "When he learned that father was mean to me, he made me the center of his life. When he found that father had started beating me, he taught me to fight, how to use a sword. There was a retired soldier in the center of town, and he would beg to learn from him, then rush home and teach me everything." She smiled bitterly. "I never managed to use those lessons against my father. He was too strong, and I was too scared."

"Then, when he found that father had... taken my purity, he took a knife to him as he slept. And they killed him for it." She closed her eyes. "He did everything he could to show me life was perfect, and the world did everything it could to prove him wrong." She pulled herself into Jack. "He was the greatest person I ever knew, and I wish you could have met him. You would have been great... friends." She gave up talking, sobbing deeply into his shoulder.

"I wish I had met him too, Tara. He sounds like a great person." He pulled her closer, kissing her on the forehead. She murmured happily, drifting into sleep. As she closed her eyes, he whispered "He may not be here, but I am here for you. Come snow, high water or hell itself, I'll be here for you." He smiled down at the sleeping girl. "Always will be."


	7. New Friends

**Hello, readers! This is your lovable and devilishly charming author, Araconos!**

***Crickets chirping***

**Well, uhm, lets get down to business. I'm here to tell you about some updates in the story. For starters, if you came here looking for cuddles and romance, I'm afraid this will be the last chapter purely about that. Stuffs about to get real.**

**Another thing - I will be going back into the story and editing things that need to be fixed - grammar, spelling, details like that. And yes, Tara's hair is ****_red_****, not black. Changed her hair red permanently when she started throwing fire around like the total b0$$ she is.**

**One last thing - Chapter updates will be getting spread farther and farther apart, but the chapters will be getting longer! *dodges tomatoes and rocks***

**Alright, alright, enough of that. Here's chapter seven!**

"Damn it. Damn it all." He kicked the rock as he walked down the dirt road, his backpack slung over his shoulder. "I hate her. I hate school, I hate people, I hate life. Why do you have it out for me?" He yelled, shaking his fist at the sky. "Why can't I ever be anything but second best?" The clouds, if that was what he was talking to, didn't answer. He grumbled, kicking the rock off to the side of the road.

There was a thud, and a scuffle as if someone had slipped down the ditch. "Ow..." that someone muttered. "Do you have to hit me?" He didn't hear the voice, or the scuffle, or see the girl with black hair that pulled herself out of the ditch. Her purple eyes stared at him, wondering. "I mean, I haven't even gotten to know your name yet and you're already pelting me with rocks." She puffed the hair out of her face. "At least my village waited until I was they had known me for twelve years."

She stretched, spreading her arms into the air, then touching her toes, finally spreading her night-black wings before floating next to the boy as he walked. He kept talking to himself. "My group of friends uses me as a punching bag, my family wont talk to me unless I stand on a pedestal, and every girl who has ever said she loved me loved someone else more. I can never win in anything, and god for-fucking-bid I meet someone who I can actually talk to for once." He found another rock to kick, slamming all his power behind it and sending it soaring into the trees, where it broke a few branches. The boy himself wasn't much to speak of, just... Average. He wasn't ugly, wasn't all that good looking, not out of shape but really not in shape either. He was just... there.

"Life sucks, huh?" the girl said, floating around him in a lazy circle. "Usual stuff, can't get a girl, you feel let down all the time, and no matter where you look theres at least one person who think's you're a waste of space. So here you are, walking down the road -"

"And here I am, walking down my road, talking to myself. What an idiot." The boy said, shaking his hands. He reached into his pockets, pulling out a pair of headphones. The girl sighed.

"Oh, not this again. Every time I come to see you, you pull those out and start listening to... whatever it is you listen to." She shook her head. "Booooring." The boy started to nod slowly, then pulled one headphone out.

"It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful." The boy started, waving his hands as if conducting. "It has the beauty of loneliness and pain, of strength and freedom." He clenched his fist, whirling to the empty dirt road. "The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel nature of beauty," He said, turning back on his way, hands dropping to his sides, "And the everlasting beauty of monotony."

The girl clapped. "If you're going to have a conversation with no one, might as well have in in style, am I right?" She fell to the ground, her bare feet leaving footprints in the snow-covered road as she walked backwards next to him. "Here's one for you: There is no loneliness greater than failure. Because a failure is a stranger to his own house." She smiled, lifting back up into the air. "I'll see you at your house, then?" The boy didn't answer. She nodded as if he had. She flew ahead to the blue house at the end of the road, swooping in through the side window and landing on his floor. She looked at the walls, noting posters that were peeling off, bookshelves covered in dust, blue ribbons from a time long past. "There is nothing worse than a lost legacy; because once you have lost it, you will spend the rest of your life looking for it without finding it."

A few minutes later he walked in the door, flopping onto the bed beside her. "Uhg... At least I have inspiration." he said, cracking his knuckles as he opened the laptop. "Lets see... Lets try making... a girl." He snorted. "At least this one wont ignore me or treat me like shit."

Lucille looked at the screen as it booted up. This was the reason she came here every day in the afternoon - not just because his jealousy gave her a delightful snack, but because his skills... interested her. Xander was a brilliant computer artist, and often took requests from companies to design logos or other images. He opened up the computer design screen, a small smile on his face as he circled the mouse around the screen, waiting for it to load.

He wondered what she would look like, then decided it was up to his subconscious to decide. He started with the face. Always the face, no matter what. It was the most important part. If he couldn't get the face right, the rest of the person fell apart into an awful mess. He started with the eyes this time - it didn't really matter which detail of the face you chose. The eyes were his favorite though. So much emotion, so much detail in such a small thing. These ones were a grey-blue color, with a hint of... mischief. There was also a solid wall of unbending steel behind these ones, as if she had seen too much already and just wished it would... go away.

The mouth was next. It was shaped into a smirk, lips pressed together, curled up on one side. She was mocking him. The nose - god, he hated noses. Most every one was ugly and... weird to draw. This one was the same, not unusually large, but just about normal sized, turned up slightly at the end.

Next came the hair. It was brown-blonde, coming off her head in a braid, curling over her shoulder. The body was easier now that the important parts were done - short, about 5'3", nothing that was exceptionally large. She had one hand leaning up against a wall, her legs crossed and her other hand hooked into her jeans belt. she wore a grey hoodie, wrinkled in the front, leaving the logo unreadable. From the top of her head to the tips of her brown boots, the girl was damn near perfect. Xander smiled, happy at his progress. Lucille was shocked.

"That's... me. Before all of this. Before the wings, and the black hair and purple eyes, that was... me." She looked to the screen, then back to Xander, then back to the screen. "How did you..." Xander just rolled over to the side of the bed, rolling right through her before sitting up and walking to the printer at the end of the hall. He picked up his newest piece of art, smiling as he pinned it to the wall next to many of his other creations. Lucille just stared at that wall, at the photo of her. Granted, she had never worn clothes like that, but that _was_ her. "How did you know..." The avatar of jealousy said, her wings folding onto her back.

Tara woke up in Jacks arms. He was lying on top of the covers of her bed, wearing his normal jeans and blue hoodie. She was under the covers, wearing her nightdress. He looked into her eyes. "Morning. No nightmares last night, I noticed." Jack said, smiling. She smiled slightly, pressing her forehead to his. She sighed.

"Do I have to get out of bed today?" She said, closing her eyes. Lying in bed with Jack was always a relaxing thing. She didn't know why - he left the sheets cold, his barefoot feet sometimes pressed against her back as she slept - that was cold. But he was always awake before she was, and she always woke up wrapped in his cold embrace. She hadn't had nightmares in a week, and she was pretty damn sure Jack was the reason for that.

Jack twisted his finger in her hair, brushing a few lazy strands to the side. "Well, I did have something planned..." He said, grinning. His eyes flicked up and met hers, and he bit his lip and looked away, blushing. She smirked. "You see, I've been talking to North, and he agrees with me. It's about time you got to see the world - the real world." Tara gasped, staring at him wide eyed. She flung her eyes around him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou..." She said, her face buried in Jack's shoulder. He sat there, shocked, but then slowly hugged her back, first loosely, then tightly, holding her close. As usual, a small cloud of steam escaped from their contact, floating to the sky. "Are you finally going to take me to meet Jamie?" She said, her head resting on his shoulder. Her hands came to rest on the scars she had left on his back, as they usually did. One of his hands was on her left shoulder blade, the other resting on her lower back.

"I sure am. However, we have an appointment with Elsa before we go... She has someone she wants us to meet." Tara pulled back, arching her eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that. I'm pretty damn sure you guys are on the same page, seeing as _I_ was the target in the last snowball fight." Tara grinned, thinking back to three days ago when she had last seen her friend - BFFL? She still had no idea what that meant, but apparently it meant they were friends.

"Well, I better get ready then." She stretched her arms, reaching for the ceiling, her eyes closed. She practically purred, she felt so good. She cracked her eye open, knowing she would catch him staring. She did, and he had that stupid grin on his face again. At least he wasn't blushing anymore. "See anything you like?" She said, smiling as the red spread across his face again. Good, she could still make him blush when she wanted to.

"I'll, uhm, be outside if you need me." Jack said, getting off the bed as he backed towards the door. Once he had gone, Tara burst into laughter. After a quick shower(She would never get used to the water always being warm, no matter what), she put on her favorite 'winter' outfit - a pair of jeans, a red hooded sweatshirt and a scarf. She tied her hair up in a braid, tossing it over her her shoulder.

"Time to go, Jack." She said, walking down the hall. Jack fumbled with the snowballs he was juggling, catching two but having one land on his head. He sputtered. "Come on, Snowflake. We're gonna be late."

"Im not the one that spent half an hour in the shower..." He mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets, his staff under his arm as he followed her.

"No, I swear, the bear was literally two feet tall. And he nearly pissed himself trying to run from it!" The other two laughed as Tara vividly told her story, spreading her arms wide in an expression of mock terror. "The little thing was tiny, and it was so adorable." Elsa laughed, her blue eyes closing. Jack smiled at her.

"You're unseasonably... warm today, Elsa." Jack said noting her easy smiles and how she seemed more upbeat than usual. Her hair was down, falling down her back in a smooth, white-blonde river. It was more than a little tangled, and she didn't have her trademark purple makeup on. Clearly she had woken up later than she expected. "Have a nice night?"

Elsa blushed, mortified. She started giggling. "I guess you could say that, yes." Her giggles turned to laughs as she thought about something, and she nearly started crying. "Oh, god." She said, wiping away a tear from her eye. "Oh, dearest me." She started laughing again when she noticed the other two staring at her.

"See, and here I thought you were a delicate little flower." A voice said from behind her, in the doorway. Tara noted with some surprise that it had a scottish accent. Elsa's eyes flew wide. "Your laughs are usually like little bell tinkles, not great heaving bellows." The girl said, walking into view. Her head was covered in tangled, red curls, and she had obviously just woken up. "Oh, we have guests! Why didn't you tell me we had people over?" She said, her blue eyes flying wide as she wrapped her arms around Elsa, resting her head on her shoulder.

"I did tell you, Merida. At least five times." Elsa said coldly, glancing at the redhead out of the corner of her eye. Merida nodded slowly, reaching down and snagging an apple off of the table. She proceeded to sit on the table, and started peeling the apple with a knife from her belt.

"I seem to recall you saying you had some 'close friends' coming over today, now that you mention it." Merida said, glaring at Tara. She somehow managed to make bedhead look threatening, and the apple peeling suddenly became a bit more violent. Tara just rolled here eyes, leaning into Jack. Merida nodded, becoming a little warmer. "So, do tell, who on earth are you?" Elsa gasped.

"Merida, be polite!" She said, slapping the redhead on the arm. "And get off the table! We have chairs for a reason." Merida just looked at the blonde.

"And here I thought you liked my... wild side." She said, raising an eyebrow. Elsa turned beet red and looked down to the floor. "Alright, I'm sorry. My names Merida, I am 'princess' of the Scottish highlands, soon to inherit the throne when I find a suitable... _mate._" The girl said, turning the last word into an insult. "I'm also Elsa's lover._"_ She added, almost as an after thought. Elsa sputtered, turning redder than Merida's hair.

Jack and Tara laughed. Suddenly Tara put the bed head, Elsa's easy demeanor and obvious good mood, and the excessive blushing together. She turned a bright red. _Lover._

Jack had apparently come to the same conclusion as she had, as he stuttered as he introduced himself to them. "I'm Jack Frost, and this is Tara Black. We are guardians of Terra Prima - a version of your world. However, our world inherently does not have magic, and people rely on technology instead of that." Merida pulled back, astonished.

"That sounds... Barbaric!" She said, gasping. "Those poor people..." Elsa just rolled her eyes.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." Instead of getting angry, Merida thought for a second, then nodded. She took a bite out of the apple.

"Sho, Yoo Guyz haf sum sort 'f majshic, right?" She mumbled through a mouth of food. The other two smiled as Elsa crossed her arms, glaring at her. "Sorry." She said, swallowing food, then attacking the apple again.

"Yes, we both have magic." Tara said, smiling. "I control fire, and he controls ice." Merida looked at the other red-head, shocked.

"You didn't tell me you knew a pretty irish lass, Elsa!" Merida said, punching her in the arm. "I've been to Ireland quite a few times. Where you from?"

"Little village called Furroughs. I doubt it's there anymore, seeing as I lived there about fifteen hundred years ago..." She said, stopping as she stared at the point of the arrow in front of her.

"You're the Twisted Witch, aren't you?" Merida said, glaring at her. Elsa grabbed her arm, shocked. She pushed her away. "There are tales about that town. They say they found a girl dead in the cemetery, and the next day the down was destroyed. Did you do it?"

Tara just stared at the girl, shaking her head. Merida looked her in the eyes, apparently seeing something she liked. She nodded, putting her bow down. "Sorry about that. I've had some bad dealings with... Witches before." She said, sitting back on the table. "You don't know the tale?" Seeing her blank stare, she continued her tale. "They say that they found a young girl, dead in the cemetery. They say she was a witch, slain some witch hunters or something of the sort. Her familiar - a dog - lay next to her, its neck snapped." Tara just stared at her, unblinking.

"They didn't bother burying the girl - they burnt her in the fire in the center of the town. And the next day, her ghost came back." She said, standing up and walking around the table. "Black sands washed over the town, crushing every building. The people fled in fear, but the sands were fast. They captured every person, save one, and drove them absolutely mad. That one person, an old woman, died that day after she told the tale. They killed the rest out of pity. No one has gone there since." Tara just stared at the girl.

"Pitch. That was no witch that did that." Jack said, looking at the girl. "Pitch was probably more than a little mad his sister didn't get a proper burial, so he crushed that town." Tara turned to him, her green eyes studying him. "Pitch is the only person I've ever heard of with that specific power. Sorry, but it's true." She just turned back to Merida, her eyes emotionless.

"So..." Merida began, dragging her words out. "Have you ever been to the kings spire?"

Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying as the red-headed women locked blades. They both grinned, pleased and a more than a little feral, as they seperated. Tara whirled, her dual-bladed staff spinning around her, blocking the attacks of Merida's dual blades. Tara pushed off, jumping into the air, swinging with her increased reach as she flew over the other girl's head. Merida blocked with her blades crossed, pushing the other girl off. Tara landed in a crouch, then sprang towards the other girl.

Jack and Elsa watched as the two practiced their fighting skills. The blades were dull, but would still leave bruises if they landed a blow - each of the girls had marks as proof. "She's really graceful, this girl of yours." Elsa said, watching as the two went at it. Jack just nodded.

"She's fast as a flame, and dangerous as one too." He said, fingering his eyebrows, which had just filled back in. "Don't mess with Tara, she'll mess you up. Merida is a great fighter as well." He said, watching the dance of red and silver.

"Yeah. Don't challenge her to an archery duel. Or an axe throwing duel. Or just about anything. Don't challenge her." Elsa said, grinning as her girlfriend took a hit to the shoulder. "Ooh, that'll leave a mark." She turned to Jack. "So, do you have any plans for the week before christmas?"

Jack turned to her, thinking. "Not really. Christmas is the busiest season of the year at the factory, so we'll be glad to get out of there. North will probably kick us out. Why, do you have plans?"

Elsa laughed. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. We are having a Winter Ball three days before christmas, and I would like you to come. Especially since..." She bit her lower lip, thinking. "Im going to reveal to the kingdom my... affections towards Merida during the ball. I would like it if my friends were there with me." Jack put an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Of course I'll be there for you. No one will be able to see me, but I suppose I can live with that." He said, but Elsa just shook her head.

"I'll announce you to the crowd as... visitors from another land. People will believe that you're there, and they will know your names, so they will all see you. Tara as well." She looked at him, giggling. "You do realize that this means you'll have to ask Tara to a dance, right?"

Jack looked mortified. "Oh. Well, I, ah, uhm... Do you think she'll say yes?" Elsa burst into laughter. She looked at his confused face, continuing her giggles. She calmed down, waving her hands in front of her face. "Do you?" She burst into laughter again.

"Okay... Okay... Whew." She said, calming down. "Jack Frost, you are either the most oblivious or most innocent man I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." She smiled at him, shaking her head. "Of course she'll say yes! She's madly in love with you. Can't say I blame her, you are rather... dashing." She giggled as Jack blushed again. "Just ask her, you big lug. It'll be fine."

"So, are you Jack's girlfriend?" Cupcake said, grinning up at the taller girl. " 'Cuz you're reaaally pretty and Jack knows it." Tara looked down at the girls that surrounded her, confused.

"Well, I am his friend, and I do happen to be a girl..." Tara said, puzzled. Cupcake and her friends groaned simultaneously.

"No, I mean, are you guys... Dating?" One of the other girls asked. A couple of them giggles, making smooching noises. Tara just got even more confused.

"Thats a fruit, right?"

Jack was in a similar situation - the boys of his(and now Tara's) flock of believers were surrounding him, asking some of the same questions. Jack was handling it a little better, however. "No, Jamie, we aren't engaged. Do me a favor and keep your freckles in your own business, ok?" The boys were quite a bit more timid than the female counterpart of their group, as every question they asked made them more and more nervous. Jack's sharp wit wasn't helping the situation.

The group had spent quite a few hours roughhousing in the snow, having sledding races, and generally just enjoying eachothers company. However, the girls had dragged Tara off, saying something about a 'makeover.' One of the young girls had gotten ahold of her mother's makeup kit, astonished that Tara had no idea what the items were. The girls had gone inside, leaving Jack surrounded by the boys, who were either in the 'girls have cooties' stage or the 'girls make me nervous as hell' stage.

"No, but one of my friends is holding a dance - and I'm planning on asking Tara to it." He said, grinning. Half of the guys made sputtering noises, while the other half wiggled their eyebrows at each other.

"You gonna kiss her?" Jamie asked, smirking.

"I, uhm..." Jack's confidence suddenly fled as he thought about the prospect. "Hey, whats that over there?" He said, pointing. The boys turned around, and he pelted Jamie and a few others with some of his enchanted snowballs, causing them to blink rapidly, confused. Grins broke out over the group as they proceeded to continue their forgotten snowball fight. Jack was relieved he didn't have to answer any more questions. He ducked as a snowball flew over his head.

About twenty minutes into the snowball fight, the girl's had arrived back at the lawn. Jack turned, smiling, then stopped, shocked. A snowball hit him in the side of the face, but he didn't even bother to reach up and wipe the snow away.

Tara just blushed. Would he ever learn to stop staring? God, she felt so... warm? She could feel his stare on her body, and she cleared her throat. "So, how do I look?" She said, raising her arms slightly. The girls were very eager to help her with the 'makeover' and when she had looked in the mirror, she almost didn't recognize herself. Her red hair was set in a much more elaborate braid, and she had loops of smaller braids across her temples, like little red ribbons. They had put purple eyeliner on her, and she was startled at how gorgeous her eyes looked. Her cheeks glowed a rosy red color, and the red lipstick tasted... strange as she bit her lip lightly, watching Jacks reaction.

Jack just stood there, still staring. She raised her eyebrow, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "I know I look damn good, but thats enough staring." Jack blinked, turning a deeper red than her hair. "So, do you like?" She said, raising her arms up, spinning, causing her dress to float around her legs, turning her into the fire she loved so much.

"You... There are no words to describe how beautiful you are, Tara." He said slowly. "You are the most beautiful, amazing girl I have ever seen." It was her turn to turn a deep red. "Good god, I mean it. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life."

"Oh, stop it, Jack." She said, looking away from him. She turned back to him as he walked forward grabbing her hand. He raised it to his lips, kissing it.

"My lady Tara Black," He said, his voice losing some of it's awe and gaining its normal, sarcastic tones. "Our friend, the magnificent queen Elsa, is throwing a winter Ball in less than a week." He paused, suddenly nervous as he looked at her. The children all stared, watching. "Would you... Uhm. Would you be my date to this dance?"

She stared at him, her eyes open wide. She giggled. "So thats what a date is." She grasped his hand with her other hand, smiling wide. "Of course, Jack. I'd love to go with you." The children suddenly cheered, and she looked around, as if finally noticing they were no longer alone. She grinned, still holding hands with Jack. "Well, its starting to get dark, kids. I think it's time we went home." The kids all groaned. "No buts. Go, go, get in." She said, hugging the kids with one arm, picking up little Sophie and her fairy wings, kissing the little girl on the forehead.

Once the kids had left, she wrapped Jack in a hug, squeezing him close. "Thank you for asking me." She whispered in his ear. He just smiled, hugging her back.

"You are honestly the most beautiful girl in the world. How would I live with myself if I didn't at least try to ask you?" Jack gulped, his next words sticking in his throat. "Besides, I... Uhm. I lo-"

Suddenly a portal opened up next to them, cutting his words off. North jumped through, shaking snow out of his hair. "You two must come back now. I have called meeting of guardians." He said, noticing their embrace and blushing expressions. He smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow at Jack, but then shook his head. "We must go now. Bad things are coming to pass."

The two, still holding hands, nodded at each other. Tara waved her free hand over herself, her dress turning into a form-fitting red leather outfit, with two swords crossed on her back. Her hair and makeup remained, however. She looked utterly fierce and terrifyingly beautiful, Jack noted, gulping as her grip tightened, then she let go of his hand.

"Let us go, Jack." She grinned wickedly, the old fire starting in her veins.

"Now is time for war."


	8. New Enemies

The portal spat them out on the icy tundra of the north pole. Tara gasped in horror, staring at the massive black thunderstorm that surrounded the factory. The wind was howling, and the storm slung slush and snow into their faces, forcing them to raise their hands up to block the slicing winds.

"North, what the hell is going on?" Jack yelled, struggling to be heard above the howling winds. He couldn't fly, he realized. The storm was buffeting him, and Boreas couldn't keep him afloat without expending all his power. He settled down on the ground, wincing as a stray particle hit him, cutting into his cheek. The cold winds healed him before he could bleed, but he noticed North grunting as red dripped down his massive forearms. However, the snow melted before it could hit Tara, turning into steam that froze instantly and fell to the ground. She held her hands out to the other two, spinning in a circle, flames firing from her hands. There was now a small ring of fire around the trio, and it flamed up, melting all snow that went through it and using the winds to power it stronger.

"Thank you, Tara." North said, brushing snow out of his beard. "This is why I call meeting. That storm is not natural. It is blocking all forms of magic, so we cannot teleport in. Luckily, the storm was very small when I left, so the other three are inside." The big man grimaced, wrapping his arms in white bandages, then pulling on his massive red coat. "I'm afraid we have to walk into that, to get back to the factory. And once we get in, we cannot leave until the storm has stopped... Or we have stopped it." He glared, looking to the offending clouds.

"Well, the winds are unable to carry us due to the vortex." Tara said, biting her lower lip. "Is there any way in that doesn't involve walking straight into hell?" North laughed, the chuckles booming across the tundra, sounding strange in the prediciment they were in.

"I have news for you, little flame. Back when I was not guardian, I was a powerful general. My strategies are second to none." He frowned slightly. "Unless they involve assassins." He shook his head, mumbling. "But! Rule number one of Nicholas St. North's battle plans: Always have an escape route... Or a back door." He grinned, tapping his foot twice on the ground. An icy tunnel opened up in the ground, and the trio fell in.

They walked through the icy tunnel, Tara holding a flame up above her head. The tunnel was small - she had to duck her head, and North was practically crawling. Water dripped from the ceiling. The tunnel shook as they entered the body of the storm, walking quitely as if there was someone that could hear them.

Jack was watching behind them, half-expecting a surprise attack by whoever had called the storm. "How much farther, North?" He half-whispered, his voice almost inaudible above the howling winds. The big man shrugged his shoulders.

"A ways more. Only a few hundred feet." Suddenly the howling stopped, and they looked at each other nervously. "Maybe they go back to their home now?" North said, looking at the others, confused. There was utter silence, then a sudden, terrifying snap. Jack could sense the crack forming in the ice behind them, threatening to drop the roof on them.

"GO!" He yelled, pushing Tara forward. "The ice is breaking, and we only have a few minutes before it drops on us." He winced as there was a massive boom, and a chunk of ice fell behind them. "Make that a minute. Run!" North ran as fast as he could in the small tunnels, Tara following close behind him, looking over her shoulder as Jack tried to seal the cracks up as fast as they broke. Tara grabbed his arm, yanking him along.

They ran as fast as they could, giant pieces of ice dropping just feet behind them. North stood up as the tunnel grew larger, turning from solid ice to ice-covered steel. They came to a large steel door, gasping for breath. There was a solid wall of ice behind them, rendering the tunnel useless. The storms howling doubled, as if enraged, then shrank back down to its 'quieter' roar. North, recovering his breath, started to laugh nervously. The other two started laughing as well, relieving the tension in the room, and the laughs turned to full-force guffaws.

Suddenly there was a large boom, and the ice shuddered. North turned to the submarine - style door, slamming his weight against it. "Ey, parshiviy, syuda idi! Open this door!" He bellowed, cursing. He slammed his bod against the door, smashing the ice that had formed on the wheel-shaped handle. There was another boom, then another as the air started to crackle with electricity. Jack turned, nervously raising his staff, and Tara drew her twin swords off her back. Elsa had given them to her before they left, saying they were tempered to withstand any amount of heat without melting. They we long, slightly curved swords, with unusually long hilts. She swung them in a slow circle, then locked them together with the hooks at the ends of the hilts, facing opposite directions. She swirled the deadly blade, then braced herself, one foot in front of her, her weight resting on her back foot.

There was one final boom, then the ice in front of them shattered, revealing the two girls who stood there. One had black hair that ran down her back, seeming to meld into the black wings that were curled on her back. Her purple eyes studied the group, and she grinned, noticing flicked her hands and summoned two black whips, crackling with electricity. She snapped them, and Tara quickly unlocked her blades, crossing them to block the bolt of thunder that raced towards them. She slid back a few inches from the force of the attack, then swung her blades, throwing a wall of flame at the two.

The other one, a girl who could be no older than twelve, cackled as she waved her hands, summoning a wall of wind to shove the the flames away. Her purple hair was wind-blown, and she looked crazy. Her dress was stained with what looked like every color of the rainbow... and a lot of stains that looked like blood. She was wearing a lot of belts, and each one held many, many knives on them. She drew several, tossing them at the group, but Jack summoned a wall of ice, catching the knives, then shattered the wall, throwing the frozen shards at the duo. They hissed, blocking most of them, but receiving several cuts on their arms and faces. When they looked back, the trio was escaping through the open door, held open by Phil.

Jack spared a look back at the girls, only to see the black haired one pull a small gun from her jacket, firing a bolt of electricity. He summoned a wall of ice, then realize the bolt wasn't heading for him - it was heading for Tara's exposed back. Time seemed to slow. He could hear every single heartbeat, feel his breath escaping from his throat as he flung himself into the path of the bolt, desperately trying to make a shield of ice. The bolt smashed into the thin wall, breaking through it with the force of a tank round. He flew back into the factory, landing in a pile of stuffed animals, his sweatshirt smoldering and black. Phil hurriedly slammed the door shut, as Tara screamed and ran to Jack's side.

"oh god, Jack, no!" She gasped, running to the boy, throwing her arms around him. She put her ear up to his mouth, and then pressed her head to his chest.

There was no heartbeat.

She flew through the halls, carrying Jack in her arms. North had told her directions to the infirmary, and she had immediately flown off, fire trailing from her feet as she pulled sharp turns faster than the speed of sound. She was blowing stray items behind her in her wake, and shattering more than a few windows. North followed behind her, running as fast as he could. She slammed into the double doors, forcing them open, shocking the woman behind the counter into throwing her papers in the air. The older woman brushed her grey hair back. "Theres no need for such haste, little one. Please try to -" She stopped talking when she saw Jack, lying limply in her arms, a scorch mark on his chest. Her voice turned from parenting to serious in an instant, her chocolate - brown eyes losing all the merriment they had previously. "Get him down the hall, third room on the right. I'll be right there."

Tara nodded, tears running down her face as she flew to the directed room. The elder woman followed, along with two large yetis who braced Jack's limp limbs down to a table as the woman flicked several switches, turning on a strange machine. She pressed two pads down on Jacks chest, then shocked him, sending his body flailing. His eyes fluttered, then closed again. The woman shocked him again. Then again. After the fifth time, Tara started crying hysterically. The woman, not even looking at her, told the yetis to take her outside. She turned a knob on the machine, turning the power up to maximum as they dragged her out, kicking and screaming.

They threw her in to a chair, next to where North was sitting. He grabbed the girl as she tried to get up and run into the room, holding her down. "There is nothing for you to do, child. Ms. Claus is doing everything she can to save him. Your presence will just distract her. All we can do is wait." He said, pulling her to him. She sobbed onto his shoulder. He raised his hand slowly, placing it on her back.

"I can't stand it. I hate being helpless. I hate... not being able to do anything about anything." North winced as her tears heated up, singing his arm through his thick jacket. "I have never felt so useless in my entire life. He took that shot for me, and I can't even help..." The rest of her words were muffled as the russian pulled her in to a tight bear hug, resting her on his massive lap.

"Has been long time since I have done this in person, little flame. I usually have yetis put on magic suits, but I suppose I can do if need be, yes?" The big man laughed, looking at her shocked face. "Christmas is this week, and I can give you whatever you want. Don't ask me for people or promises, they do not fit on my sleigh." He said waving his finger in her face. "Tell me, little girl. What do you want for Christmas?" Santa Claus asked, smiling down at the girl on his lap.

"I... Anything? Any present in the whole world?" North just nodded.

"All boys and girls get presents on christmas. You, you have been a very good girl this year. So you get anything, anything I can make in this workshop." Tara looked up at him, wiping a few boiling tears away as she smiled faintly.

"I'd... I'd like a..." She sat there in thought, wondering. _Anything in the world..._ She grinned. "If its not too much to ask..." She began, grinning shyly up at the big man. He guestured with his hands, as if saying 'go on, just ask.' "I'd like a... A necklace. One that wont melt, or break in the cold. One that means something." She giggled slightly.

"Oh, Ho ho ho!" The large man laughed, the joyous booms shaking her off of his lap. "A necklace? Is that all?" She nodded slowly. "Pfffft. Is mere pittance. I can make such things with ease. As a matter of fact, I will make two. Yes, one is fun, but two will do." He grinned over at her, then flicked his eyes over to someone behind her. The grin fell off his face. "Oh, svyatyye nebasa, Sara..."

Tara turned around slowly, noticing the grey haired woman standing there, pulling her gloves off slowly. She shook her head, staring down at the ground. Tara couldn't hear what the old woman said next, because she was running, sprinting, flying past her. _Oh no oh god no please no no no..._

She entered the room, and saw the two yetis standing there, one of them crying onto the others shoulder. She ran to him, grabbed his hand, pressed it to her cheek.

He was colder than usual. Far too cold, and she watched as the pale white of his skin slowly turned grey.

Jack Frost was dead.

It was dark, too dark to see anything. He ran down the empty corridor, not seeing his hands in front of him, hoping he didn't run into a wall, into anything. Were there walls here? Was there anything here? He ran to the small spec of light in the distance, slowly growing larger with every footstep. He thought he heard someone call his name behind him, but he didn't dare turn around to look - there was someone, _something_ right behind him, chasing him with pounding footsteps, its breath heating his back as he sprinted to the light. It grew larger, bobbing up and down as he went, and suddenly it flared, and there was a howl from behind him as the monster fled, its footsteps pounding away from where ever it had come. Jack fell to his knees, panting for breath. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and saw another in front of his face, and he gladly grabbed it, standing up.

The man stood there, smiling. His dark skin contrasted with the pure white of his suit, and Jack noticed that his eyes were a pure white, unseeing even as they stared right through him.

"Welcome, Jack Frost. You are safe here." Jack just stared, still panting for breath.

"No offense, but I can't say I trust you. I don't even know where 'here' is or who you are." He said, shrugging the hand off of his shoulder.

The other man laughed, throwing his head back. "I am Tsar Lunar IV, king of the skies, creator of all guardians. The being you just ran from was a minion of Tenebrous, the master of night himself." Jack stared in shock.

"Oh, and where you are? Ha, thats easy. You're dead, Jack Frost." He grinned. "Welcome to the afterlife."

Tara fell to her knees beside the bed, clutching the cold, grey hand to her cheek. "Please, don't leave me here, Jack. Please. I can't lose you. I can't. You're all I have left. Please, please, please don't leave me." She said, tears running down her face, smearing what was left of her makeup.

There was no response from the corpse on the table.

"I need you to wake up, Jack. I need you here. Because we're going to be fighting a war soon, and if you aren't here with me, I know I'm going to snap." She rested her head on his chest, looking up to his face. She hoped, prayed to every diety she know that one of those eyes would oped, and he would make some stupid, snarky remark. "I'm going to become something broken, something twisted and dark. And I can't save people like that. But if you don't come back to me, I can't stop it."

The body still lay there, unmoving, unhearing, uncaring.

"Dead? What do you mean, dead?" Jack asked, falling back. MiM summoned a chair made of clouds behind him as he fell, catching him. He sipped calmly from a cup of tea, mulling his thoughts over.

"Well, I can only speak directly to people when they are dead, dear boy. So either you are dead, or you will be very soon." He smiled at Jack, shaking his head slowly. "And before you ask, no, we are not 'in' the moon. We are in a realm beyond existence itself. The moon isn't even where I live; its a beacon, if you will. It relays my messages from a great distance, seeing as I cannot leave this place." He sounded bitter about that, Jack noticed.

"I am trapped in utopia, Jack. I cannot leave to protect the universe. You see, where you found yourself when you woke up is the 'nexus' of this realm, the dividing line between my realm an Tenebrous. All beings find themselves there when they die; the more good you do in your life, the closer to here you are; the more evil you do, the worse off you are. I am here, keeping the dark from spreading to 'heaven' as the humans call it, making sure that all these good souls I have saved do not perish. The second I leave, the dark will flood in and capture them all." He shook his head, slowly.

"The beast that followed you was a Terrovore - one of the darkest and most evil beings ever to exist, ever. Had it caught you, you would have stood no chance in escaping. It is the last of its kind, seeing as we managed to expunge the other two from the universe in the last Eternal War." Noting Jack's confused experession, he just waved his hands. "Nothing for you to worry about, dear boy. Just believe me when I say the coming battle for Earth really is just a drop in the ocean."

Jack just stared at the other man, opening his mouth to ask a question. Lunar stopped him. "You don't have time to talk, my dear boy. That girl you are madly in love with is doing a wonderful job of making a mess of things. I was going to send you back after we had a wonderful chat, but she'll more than likely get you before I do. Just hear me out."

"Jack Frost, you will wake up this very instant." She hissed. Her eyes were a deep, deep crimson, and her hair whipped around her head in a fiery inferno. North shook his head behind her, motioning for the yetis to run for the door. They did so, and just in time, because fire lanced from her body like thunderbolts, singing the walls black wherever it touched. North closed the door slowly, sparing one last look at the girl as she reduced the room to ashes.

"I need you, Jack. I need you so much it hurts. I need you to wake up _right now_, because if you don't, I wont have anything left to live for but vengeance. And that will just burn me away on the inside." She laid her hands on his chest, one over the other, the wild strands of fire condensing under them, forming a white ball of fire. She forced all of her power into it, and the sheer heat of it caused what was left of his sweatshirt to fall apart.

Bunny stood next to North, backing slowly away from the door as heat poured out from it. Tooth hovered by the rabbits side, and North held his sister close to him as she sobbed into the big mans coat. "You sure she's alright in there, North? She might burn the whole place down before she's done." North just looked at him, shrugging.

"I think she will be fine, Bunny. There is much we do not know about this girl. And if her center is what I think it is, well." He laughed. "Is good thing man in moon chose her to be guardian, because we could not stop her otherwise." Bunnymund looked at the big man strangely, but didn't have a chance to ask. Because right then there was a flash of light from under the door, and the heat disappeared.

Jack gasped, looking down at his chest. There was a strange orange-white glow coming from his heart, and he saw himself fading. MiM groaned. "Looks like I have only a few seconds. Well. Listen close, frosty, because this is important." Jack looked up at the man, nodding.

"When you get back, find Emily Jane. Ask Sandman, he knows where she is. Also, when you get there, ask North for Katherine's address. Im afraid your staff absorbed too much damage when you took that attack. Nightlights will be good for you anyway." Jack frowned, the words confusing him. He nodded slowly, memorizing names. "Tell that spitfire of yours to keep a lid on her anger at all times - I barely have any control over her as it is, seeing as I'm not the one who brought her here." Jack gaped at that, but MiM snapped his fingers in his face.

"Pay attention, this stuff is really important. I want you to tell Tooth, Bunnymund and North that I have released the bindings on their powers until this battle is over - if they lose, the children will never be safe, and the balance of light and dark will tip over even farther." He shuddered at that. Jack's hearing started to become mufffled, and everything started to get blurry. "One last thing - don't hold back in telling Tara how you feel about her, yeah? Trust me, it will give you both a lot more power in the long run." Jack could barely hear him now, and the man and his suit mingled into a thick blur. "And don't forget - this isn't just a battle for Terra Prima. All versions of earth - magical or not - hang in the balance, and they have a right to fight for it." The dark-skinned man brushed something off of his jacket, setting his teacup down. "Now go, Jack Frost. The world needs saving."

Tara stared down at him, her hair settling. She fell to her knees, exhausted. That last burst of power had taken everything she had - everything - and her hair turned back to its normal black color, her eyes flickering slowly from green to brown as her power bled out. She looked at his chest, waiting, praying for it to move, hoping that forcing all of her power into his heart had done something, _anything_ to make his wish come true.

He lay there, unmoving.

Tara fell forward, her arm over his chest, pulling her to him. She began to whisper in his ear. "Jack Frost, I'm going to miss you more than anyone. I'm going to miss you because you make me smile, make me laugh, make me feel whole. I'm going to miss talking to you, playing with you, just being there with you. And I'm going to miss being me. Because without you, im broken, and I can never be who I was ever again. But more than anything, Snowflake, im going to miss you because... because I love you. And I never got to go to that ball."

She stood up, slowly, her hair turning back to it's red color, her eyes filling up with green as power poured back into them. "Good bye, Jack. She said, wiping a tear from her eye as she turned to leave. She felt so empty inside. So cold, so very, very cold. Frost began to form on the walls around her, unnoticed. Tooth gasped in the doorway, and North began to chuckle.

Someone snorted behind her. "Care to repeat that last bit for me, Sparks?"

She turned on her heel, running back to the bed, grabbing him in her arms as he sat up, sobbing into his shoulder. She pulled back, glaring at him. "Don't you ever do that ever again, you asshole. I have never cried so much in my entire life." Jack just grinned slowly.

"Why cry for me, though, Tara?" He said, looking at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Pretty damn obvious, Jack. I love you. And if you ever die on me again, so help me god, I will bring you back and kill you all over again." Jack smirked, more than a little shocked.

"Gee, that makes me feel nice. And just so you know, I love you too." Tara rolled her eyes again.

"Oh, shut up." She said.

"No, I mean it, I really do -" She leaned forward, silencing him with a kiss. When they broke apart, he had a faraway look in his eyes. "Uhm. Yeah. Shutting up now." She giggled, then stopped when he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. He wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her closer, and she closed her eyes, flushing scarlet.

Bunnymund cleared his throat in the doorway. "I'd say get a room, but we need to talk to you first." They broke apart sheepishly, both panting slightly for breath. "I'm guessing MiM spoke to you, Jack?" He nodded as Jack looked down, gritting his teeth.

"That he did. Crazy bastard." Jack smiled slightly, shaking his head. "He has a long list of things for us to do for him." He looked to Tara, smiling. "You were right, Sparks. Time is growing short." He picked her up out of the bed, setting her down on the floor. "Now is time for war." He proceeded to collapse on the ground, too weak to support his own weight. He groaned. "Forget that. Now is time to rest."

The dark forces gathered in the room, standing around the cold, black stone table. All the forces of sin and evil were here, save one. Gluttony picked under his nails with a small knife, grinning as his pricked himself. He sucked the blood out from his finger, obviously enjoying the pain and the taste. He glared at Panic as she tutted slowly, her wind-blown purple hair making her look ridiculous as she tried to scold the massively fat man.

"Oh shut up, you miserable excuse for a windstorm." He sneered across the table at her. She merely stuck her tongue out at him, pulling a knife from her belt, carving her name into the stone. Right next to the other 3,753 names, doodles and naughty words she had carved in. "Where's your sister, anyways? Too lazy to show up?"

Jinx just snickered, putting the knife back into her belt. "And here I thought you were the lazy one. No, she's just topping off her power somewhere. She'll be here soon." Slazyk chuckled.

"So she's visiting that boy again, you mean? I should pay him a visit some day, too. It'll be... fun." He jumped as Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, appearing from right behind him, shocking him with a small bolt of power.

"You'll do no such thing, unless you want me to visit your little pet in the Bahamas." The avatar of Gluttony turned red, glaring at her.

"You wouldn't dare..." he began, stopping as their unofficial leader stepped forward, now that the others were all gathered.

"People, please. Lets save the fighting for people who we need to kill, yes?" He turned to the storm sisters, smiling. He steepled his fingers, taking two steps back, only to appear next to Jinx, startling her into dropping the knives she was juggling. "So, Jinx. I understand you and Lucy have created a power-dampening storm around the North Pole?"

Jinx grinned. "Sure did, boss! We made sure that allllll the guardians were there before we shut it down completely. Sis even got a good shot off on that cute white-haired boy. He's probably taking a dirt nap right about now." She giggled.

He shook his head, muttering. "Jack Frost isn't dead. And if he is, that new guardian of theirs will tear us apart. We still need to gather more intel on her - we don't even know her name, for the love of hate." He shook his head again, walking around the table to his seat.

Pitch sat down in the large stone chair, thinking. "North is a very smart man. He built his holiday like the fortress he lives in - there is almost no way to stop it. But we have started our plans rolling." He chuckled darkly. "Yes, the best way to take down a fortress is to lay siege to it." He looked to the two sisters, nodding slowly. "You two, keep the storm maintained." He looked to the other three people around the table, nodding to gluttony, rage and greed. "You three, prepare to assault the Isle of Sand. Tomorrow, we begin our war at last."


	9. Reunion

Jack leaned heavily on Tara's shoulder, struggling to get up. "It's fine, guys. Im just a little tired." The other guardians took a few steps back, watching with concern as Jack struggled to walk out of the room. "I have too much to talk about an far too little energy, so lets go somewhere where we can sit before I talk." Jack had just woken up from a short fifteen minute power-nap, seeing as he had collapsed shortly after waking up.

They walked slowly down the hall, Babytooth practically crying as she sat on her mothers shoulder. The other two fairies consoled the poor girl. Tooth herself just rolled her eyes in frustration. "You're two inches tall. What did you expect?" Bunnymund was talking to North, attempting to get the big man to explain what he thought Tara's center was. Sandy walked to the rear of the group, smiling as he watched the newest members of the guardianship held each other up in more ways than one.

They reached a small, red-walled room with a mahogany desk. Windows to the outside, heavily reinforced with magic, showed the swirling black malestrom that surrounded the factory. Blue lightning lanced through the clouds, occasionally trying to smash into the windows. A red barrier right outside the windows stopped these attacks. North pulled out a chair for Jack, then walked around to the head of the table. On the small stand nest to his chair was a large globe, and he tapped on the North Pole. A floating blue map of their location appeared on the wall, and he sat in the very large chair, facing towards the other five. "So, Jack. Man in Moon spoke to you. Tell us what he said."

Jack looked around the table, sighing. "What he said was troubling, and mostly confusing. First things first: Sandman, he wants you to find some girl named Emily Jane." Sandman's eyes flew wide, and a myriad of symbols appeared over his head. North nodded.

"Da, it must be getting very bad if we need... Her help. I just hope she agrees to side with us. She was very displeased with what happened to Pitch." North looked back to Jack, gesturing to continue.

"North, I need to know where Katherine is. I have no idea who she is, but MiM told me that when I find her, I need to ask for Nightlights staff, seeing as mine was destroyed." North just stared at Jack, nodding slowly. "The rest is kind of... Private." Jack said, blushing slightly. "Suffice to say we may have more allies than we can ever dream of calling forward, and many more enemies as well." He nodded, thinking back. Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh, one last thing - he releases the binding on all four of your powers. Not sure what that means, but he told me to tell you that."

The elder four guardians just blinked slowly. Manny had the gift of foresight, which allowed him to see the general gist of the future. He couldn't tell exactly what would happen, but if he had said that, then life was about to get very... difficult. "Jack... Are you absolutely sure he said that? Was there a safe word involved after what he said?" Tooth said slowly, all humor of the situation draining away.

Jack turned to her. He looked up, thoughtfully. "No, I didn't hear anything after that. Everything just kind of turned into a blur. He said something, but it was too muffled for me to hear." North nodded slowly. Bunny looked at Jack, tapping his foot rapidly.

"Naw, mate. You _have_ to remember that word. If the Tsar says we need our full strength, we are going to need it. Bad. As in, we are going to lose without it, bad. So clean your bloody ears out and try to think of what that word was." The seven-foot-tall rabbit walked slowly towards Jack, his ears flared up. "Or I swear on my mums grave I will reach inside that pretty little head of yours and rip it out."

"No, you listen here, you overgrown rodent." Jack stood on his toes, staring up at the taller man. "I'm sorry I don't remember your stupid code word. If he had wanted we to know, he would have told me. So why don't you just crawl back into your rabbit hole and paint some eggs.

Tooth flew in front of the two. She put her hand on both of their chests, pushing them apart. "Settle down, boys. We have bigger things to worry about." She looked over at Jack, staring into his eyes. "Please, we need to know what that word was. It could make the difference between winning what is coming for us, or losing it." Jack nodded slowly, stepping back to his seat. North cleared his throat.

"So, we have things to do now. You - Sandman - will talk to Emily Jane. She will talk to you, at least. You -" He pointed his finger at Bunnymund - "Will take Jack to see Nightlight. I get the feeling the chamber of moonlight will be of use." Bunny nodded slowly, kicking his feet up on the table. North glared at him, but shifted his gaze to Tooth. "Toothiana, I'm going to need your fairies to contact any and all people who will help us. The Dark Ones will be doing the same, and there are some neutral parties who will sway either way. We need you to convince them." He then turned to Tara. He put his hand on his chin, and thought for a little while. Then he nodded.

"Tara, you will stay here. With me. I need all the concentration I can to be ready for Christmas, and something tells me that our foes will not wait until December 26th to attack us. I need your skills to stop any attacks on the factory." Tara frowned, looking to Jack, but he just squeezed her hand. She turned to North and nodded, pressing her lips together grimly.

Suddenly glass shattered in the corner of the table, and they looked over in shock. Sandman had his hands pressed against his temples, the remains of a plate at his feet. His eyes were open wide, and he looked up, a kaleidoscope of images appearing over his head. North gasped.

"They dare to attack your home?" Sandman nodded, grimly. "We must go. Now." North quickly ran over to the wall, pulling a lever. The wall slid open, revealing a staircase. "This way, friends. We need to go. If they topple the Isle of Sand, there will be no more Dream Sand for our friend to spread. And we all know what happened last time there were no dreams." The other guardians nodded to each other, and they all hurried down the dark passageway.

"So, you're absolutely sure this thing will hold us through that storm, right?" Bunnymund said nervously, holding on to the sides of the sleigh. "Because, in all honestly, I'm fine with just sitting back at the factory. I mean, we have to protect Christmas and all that, right?" He laughed nervously.

North looked back at his friend, grinning slightly. "Do not be such big baby. She has held through hurricanes before, this sleigh." He frowned slightly. "Well. Mostly held together. Some times she fall apart, but is still good, ya? We stopped using super glue and now use duct tape." He laughed at Bunny's wide-eyed response. "Hold on, friends. Away we go!" The large man cracked the whips, sending the reindeer flying down the tunnel. The door shot open at the last second, and they barreled into the storm.

Bunnymund turned a lovely shade of lime as the winds hit them, buffeting the sleigh back and forth. North squinted, steering the team of deer through large purple pillars of cloud, forcing them through the storm. Tara sat in the back, holding onto Jack's shoulder as he smiled weakly up at her. He still had a black mark on his chest, and was having trouble breathing. Clearly he had not recovered from his experience. Tara felt weak as well, and she knew that there would be trouble if the two girls from earlier were waiting for them. '_So far, it looks like we're safe._' She could see the light from the tundra peeking through the clouds, and she sighed in relief. Good, she didn't have to fight anyone this time.

She frowned as she heard a sound building beneath the wind. A loud, sharp whistle pierced into her ears, and she looked over the edge of the sleigh, curious and more that a little worried. Suddenly she yelled to North. "Pull up now!" Without hesitation, the russian yanked on the reins, and the sleight drove up into the sky - too slow.

They all shook as the black whip hit the side of the sleigh, nearly turning it over. She clung to Jacks sweatshirt, hanging onto the edge of the sleigh with her other hand as they tilted dangerously to the right. Tooth hung onto her seat, and Bunny hung over the edge, looking down the the ground. Jack grinned nervously up at her as North forced the sleigh to tilt back over. Suddenly Bunnymund let go - of his lunch. The sleigh slowly righted itself and North reached back over the edge, dragging the sick rabbit over the side and strapping him to the seat.

Tara lit a fire in her hand, waiting. There was another whistle, and she swiped her hand in its direction, sending a wave of flame out. The whip cracked, and the sleigh rocked again as the fire disappeared in a blast of wind. She grit her teeth as she heard two sets of giggles through the storm.

"Gee, sis, whats the word I want to use here. That attack really... Sucked. Yeah, thats the word. It sucked." The younger - sounding voice said, giggling. Tara shot another fireball at the noise, and the girl simply dodged, blowing a raspberry back. The storm around them cleared, revealing the two girls from before. The black haired girl held her whips in her hands, grinning wickedly as the purple haired girl pinched her eyebrows, putting out a fire that had started. "Nice shot, candle-head." Tara glared at her. The older girl raised both of her whips, this time attacking Tara instead of the sleigh.

The black whips suddenly stopped, flaring back to stop a storm of ice that hurtled at Lucille. Her eyes opened in shock as Jack stuck his tongue out at her, throwing another wave of ice shards. She simply lifted her hand, batting the weak attack away. "You should be dead, boy." She let the whips fall to her side. Jack looked nervously towards North, noting that they weren't moving forward at all, a blast of wind keeping them exactly in place.

"Uhm. Sorry, but they really didn't want me, so they sent me back." He said, smirking. The black haired girl glared at him, and he stuck his tongue out at her. "Do you want to know what actually happened?" Jack said, nodding slowly as her eyes flew wide. The girl nodded slowly, and her younger sister puffed air out of her face, yawning. He turned suddenly, throwing a snowball at the distracted purple - haired girl. It hit her right in the face, and her mouth dropped open, shocked, as she wiped the snow away, sputtering.

The sleigh shot forward, and Jack was blown over the back of the sleigh, left hanging onto the back edge of the seats. Tara grabbed onto his hand, starting to haul him back onto the sleigh, grunting slightly with the effort. They winced as a burst of light hit them as they escaped the storm, all the sounds of the storm fading as they flew away. Jack grinned up at her as she pulled him aboard. "Thanks, Sparks. What would I do without you?"

She just grinned back. "You'd probably be dead a thousand times over by now if it weren't for me." She was about to haul him aboard when they heard the sharp whistle again, and Jack yelped in pain as the whip wrapped itself around his ankle. They both looked down to the black rope, and Jack realized what was about to happen as the whip grew taunt. "Oh, Shi-" he began, stopping as a bolt of electricity flew up the whip, knocking him unconscious.

"Jack!" Tara screamed as he was yanked from her grip, his eyes rolling back into his head. There was a dark cackle, and two pitch black horses emerged from the storm, shifting constantly as if they were made of black sand. Tooth gasped behind her, throwing he hands over her mouth. The horses reared, baring the girls. The eldest was grim, her lips pressed together as she yanked the unconscious boy onto the horse behind her. The other girl grinned wildly, kicking her feet into the horse.

"Giddyap!" The purple haired one yelled, and the horses began to sprint away. He held her hand out, and in a matter of seconds the swirling maelstrom seemed to condense into a small ball in her hand, sparkling with purple clouds and black thunder. Tara growled, hurling herself out of the sleigh, a burst of fire blasting from her feet. She tackled the black-haired girl at the speed of sound, knocking her off of her horse, sending Jack, Lucy and her flailing down to the ground. She reached out to grab Jack, attempting to fly away, but the other girl grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her back. They fell to the ground, the winds slicing at them as they clawed at each other.

"You black - haired bitch! Let go of my hair!" She said, clawing a deep furrough into the others girls cheek with her nails. Lucille hissed, then gasped as Tara drove her fist into her stomach. There was a sickening crack as Tara grabbed onto the hand in her hair and twisted_, _snapping her wrist. They separated, and Tara turned just in time to see the purple haired girl swoop down on her horse, snagging Jack out of the air. She hissed, reaching out, then saw that the ground was far to close for her liking. She put her feet below her, firing out small bursts of power, trying to slow herself down. She was still too weak from earlier, however, and unable to slow herself down enough. There was a sharp whistle, and she was slammed off balance as the whip hit her in the ribs. She gasped at the pain, and then she slammed into the frozen ground.

Luckily for her, her extreme body heat melted the snow into slush mere moments before she crashed, but the impact still knocked the breath out of her. Her vision went blurry for a second, and she heard the clops of horseshoes as the girls approached. Her eyes focused, and she looked up at the two. The purple haired girl was juggling three knives and the storm - ball, whistling a circus tune. The other girl glared at Tara, nursing her broken wrist. She hissed as she twisted the broken appendage back into place, bones rippling under the skin as it healed in seconds. She saw Jack strapped to the back of the younger girl's horse, still unconscious. She started to get up, but quickly fell back to the ice as the knifes flew at her. They slammed into her clothes, pinning her to the ice. One of them left a cut on her arm, and she winced as blood, hot and sticky, stained her shirt. She tried to get up again, but was unable to move.

"So, hotstuffs. We'll be taking your adoooorable boyfriend here." The younger one drawled, picking under her nails with another knife. "But that doesn't seem fair, does it, sis?" Lucy grinned, malice in her eyes.

"No, it's not, Jinx. Lets give her something as... payment, shall we?" They both giggled as Jinx tossed the purple ball of storm onto Tara's lap. "Well, we'll be off now. Pleasure meeting you... What's your name, anyway?" Lucy said, cocking her head to the side. "I'll send a condolences card to your friends when they find your body." Tara glared up at her, and a wave of pure heat flared off of her, sending the other girl back.

"Its Tara. And I swear, you will feel more pain than you have ever -" She began, stopping as the girls mounted their horses.

"Yes, that's lovely and all. Anyhoo... Bye!" Jinx giggled as they flew off, becoming small dots in the horizon in just seconds. The ball began to shake and expand as Tara struggled against her bonds, trying to pull herself free. She grinned as one of the knifes pulled out of the ice, then winced as a bolt of thunder hit her from the ball. Her back arched in pain as she was shocked repeatedly, unable to free herself any further as spasms shook her body. The ball grew larger, and she yanked her other arm free in a desperate feat of willpower. She moved to remove the third and final one, but then the orb exploded.

Tooth stared behind them as they flew the sleigh. A massive black mushroom cloud loomed behind them, and her fairies tittered on her shoulder. "North, shouldn't we go help her?" She asked, turning back around. Bunnymund just shook his head.

"Eh, she'll be awright. She's a little spitfire, that one. What we need to worry about is making sure we can save the sand island. Last thing we need right now is a lack of dreams." He shook his head, slowly. "Or an abundance of nightmares." Tooth looked up at him.

"Da, we all know what those horses were." North said, cracking the whips of the sleigh. "Pitch is back. He may be weakened, but he will still put up fight." The large man grimaced, looking back to them. "We must save the Isle of Dreamsand before it is too late. If we do not, Pitch will be back stronger than before. Hiya!" he turned back, cracking the reins again. Tooth looked behind them, worried, but then turned to the fairy on her shoulder.

She spoke to the largest of the group, a fairy with a sword in a scabbard at its hip. "Mobilize squads I-1, M-2 and M-3. We have a battle to fight." The 6 - inch warrior nodded, speeding off into the distance. The other guardians readied themselves, preparing for the upcoming battle. North pulled a snow globe out of his pocket.

"Ready, comrades?" The others nodded their affirmations, bracing themselves. "Let us go, then." He threw the globe, and the sled flew into the portal, dissapearing in a flash of light.

They reappeared in the middle of what could only be described as hell.

Jack woke up, and the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. There was a small amount of dim light, illuminating the cave he was in, but not nearly enough for him to get his bearings. The second thing he noticed was the pain. He fell back against the wall, wincing, raising his hands to his head. Something prevented him from doing so, and he looked down to see he was chained to the cave wall. He dropped his hands back to his sides, sighing. "Well, shit."

"Now, now Jack. We both know that there is no need for such... boorish language." Jack froze at the voice that came from right next to him. He knew that slow, weary accent, that patronizing tone of voice. He turned to where it had come from, but no one was there. "Ah, hearing things, Jack?" The voice came from his other side now, and Jack turned that way, clenching his teeth. He strained against his bonds, trying to see if there was anyone there. "Darting at shadows? My, my Jack. You wouldn't be a little... Scared, would you?" Pitch said, leaning forward, coming face to face with Jack.

"Of you? You can only wish, Pitch." Jack said, leaning back. He sighed, looking at him. "And here I am, wishing you were dead. What a wonderful world this is." Pitch just chuckled. Jack looked at him again, this time with Tara's eyes. How had what she had described as the most wonderful person in the world come to be... this?

"My good friends, the Storm Sisters, told me that you found a lovely little plaything. A girl named... Tara... yes?" Pitch said, hesitation slowly when he said her name. His eyes grew a little hooded, and Jack just stared at him. No words were said for a while. Pitch shook his head slowly.

"Something wrong, Pitch?" Jack asked. Pitch looked up, glaring at him, then realizing that he was sincere. Stupid brat... Pitch chuckled darkly.

"Oh, nothing really. The storm sisters tell me that your lover was destroyed by the bomb they left her. Not a trace left." Pitch said, smirking. He pulled back, shocked, when Jack burst into laughter.

"Oh, oh god, thats funny. They really thought they got her?" Jack grinned. "Oh no, it's going to take much, much more than what those girls can do to take her down. No one can kill Tara Black that easy."

"What did you just say?" Pitch said, a hollow whisper. Jack smiled up at him.

"Her name is Tara Black. Born in the year four-hundred seventy-six. Lived and died in a small town called Furrough, by the river Shannon. Daughter to a horrible man and a mother she never knew. Sister to Pitch Black, who she loved more than anything in the world." Jack said, staring up at Pitch.

"Silence." Pitch said, holding his hand out. "You will be silent."

"She died defending a little girl, and the townspeople burned her body instead of giving her a proper burial."

"I said SILENCE!" Pitch screamed, holding out a shaking hand. His eyes were wide, and he took a few steps back. "You will speak no more."

"The next day, the town that had betrayed the both of you was swallowed by a wave of black sand, driving everyone insane with fear."

"YOU SHALL BE SILENT!" Pitch said, throwing a wave of black sand at Jack, throwing him hard against the wall. "I don't know how you know this." He said, walking forward to Jack. "But my sister died a long, long time ago. And you have no right to even say her name!" He shouted, grabbing Jack's shoulders and slamming him into the wall.

Jack coughed, spitting out blood. He was still so weak from all that he had gone through in the past few hours, and he leaned up against the wall. "It's all -" He gagged, a stream of blood and black sand pouring out of his mouth. Pitch stood to the side, smiling slightly.

"Jack... Please. Don't... Don't say anything." Pitch said, eyes downcast. He backed slowly away from the injured boy, turning away as he faded into the shadows. "Just let me lie to myself a little longer."

Down the hall, Lucille paced in the meeting room. "Stupid red-head. Snapped my wrist like a twig." She had her arms crossed, and her hair stood on end with static energy. "God, I'd love to go teach her a thing or too." Jinx sighed, lying on the table, kicking her legs as she pricked her finger with her knife, drawing on the table in blood.

"Oh, calm down, sis. That little candle blew out... Or should I say blew up?" She giggled. She sat up, clapping her hands, accidentally stabbing herself in the hand with the knife. "Ow ow ow... Ok, I'm done!" She said, raising her hands to the drawing at the table as if she were showcasing the Mona Lisa. Lucy rolled her eyes, walking over.

"It's a... Oh my god..." She said, rubbing her temples.

"Uniiiiiicooorrrn! Isn't it pretty? Didja see the body parts impaled on the horn?" Jinx gushed, pointing out the different parts of her masterpiece.

"It has stick legs and an oval for a body."

"But it's badass!"

They both jumped as Pitch appeared in between them. He studied the table for a few seconds, then sighed. "Jinx, please refrain from spilling your bodily fluids on the table." He said quietly. "Lucy, come with me." He turned and made for the door, Lucy trailing behind him. Jinx pouted as she turned to the table, then grinned as she decided to give it wings. Big, scary bat wings!

In the hallway, Pitch turned to Lucy. "I have something for you to do for me I think you will quite enjoy." She looked up at him quizzically. "The girl from before is alive. I want you to find her and bring her here. In one piece, of course." She grinned.

"As you wish, sir." She whistled, and there was a rustling sound down the hall. They heard clops of horseshoes as a purple horse, graced with wings, came to a stop in front of her. She nimbly jumped up, swinging her leg over the side as she gripped the mane of the horse, rubbing its side. "Miss me, tempest?" The horse whinnied, and she shook her head. "Yeah, im sorry. I had to ride another horse to get here." The horse snorted, and she rolled her eyes. "Screw you too. No carrots tonight."

Pitch tapped her on her shoulder, scaring the crap out of her. He was on her other side this time. "Can you stop that whole... being everywhere at once thing? It gets on my nerves." He just stared at her.

"Don't kill her, Lucy Feral. I need that girl alive." He said, and she grinned down at him.

"No worries. Little bit of pain never hurt no one, right?" She kicked her heels into the sides of her horse, then stopped as Pitch reached up to grab her ankle.

"Lucy. As little pain as is possible, please." She stared down at him, puzzled and more than a little angry.

"Do you want to marry the bitch? Is that the plan?" Pitch was silent. "She's a guardian! She wont come willingly, and in my opinion she deserves what she's about to get." And with that, she kick her heels back into the horse, and galloped into the portal. Pitch sighed, backing into a corner. There was the familiar whooshing sound in his ears as he melded into the shadows, eyes closed yet seeing everything that darkness had ever touched. He took a few blind steps forward, reappearing in the cave near Jack.

"I sent someone to go collect your girl, Jack Frost. She'll be here soon, but im afraid she may be a bit battered." Pitch shook his head at that, sighing again. He walked over next to Jack, sliding down the wall to sit with him. "I know, I know. I would much rather she didn't get hurt too. But if I tell them she is my sister, they will use her against me in a play for power rather than just bring her here."

Jack stared at him, wondering. "Can you tell me anything about... you two?" He asked. Luckily for him, the air in this cave was cold, and he managed to draw power from that and heal most of his wounds. He still felt like shit - dying does that to you - but at least he wasn't bleeding.

Pitch just looked at Jack, shaking his head. "Why don't we just wait until the girls get here? Its a long story, and I dont feel like explaining everything twice." So they sat there in the cave, Jack wondering about the man we was trapped with, a man he knew everything about and yet nothing at all.

Tara really, really didn't like waking up with headaches. She assumed that last night or whatever had happened, she had gotten into a fight with a bear and lost miserably, because her entire body was in agony. She groaned, shifting her weight to one side, then flopping back down. This was worse than the time she had downed an entire jug of apple whiskey when she was twelve.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." She shot up, recognizing the voice. Reasons as to 'why' she was in so much pain shot back into her mind, and she cursed, struggling to stand. "No, why don't you just _sit down._" The words were accompanied with a fist to Tara's gut, sending her flying back. "My wrist hurt like hell when you snapped it, you little bitch. Do me a favor and hold still while I return the favor, ya?"

Tara glared up at the girl, sneering. "Maybe this time I'll snap your freakishly thick neck instead of your wrist." The other girl just laughed, watching as Tara swayed from side to side, trying to hold her balance.

"Please." She shoved Tara, and the red-head fell to the side, coughing. "We both know that I could kill you right here. Unfortunatly, that would ruin my chances of getting with your adorable boyfriend, so I'm going to keep you alive." Tara glared up at her.

"Don't talk about Jack like that. He isn't one of you and never will be." The other girl laughed again, leaning down to look her in the eyes.

"Oh, you'd be so, so surprised to hear things about Jack that he doesn't tell people. Like how he really feels about you, for one." Tara began to smolder, the ice around her melting as she stood up. "Oh, you didn't know? Well. A little birdy - or should I say fairy - told me something about him I think you'd like..."

"If you want to live, I would recommend you stop talking now." Tara said, her eyes closed and fists clenched by her sides. Her hair began to float up into the air, a ring of fire surrounding her feet, melting her into the ice. "I really, _really_ don't want to get angry."

The other girl just grinned, leaning forward. "Oh, poor baby. Problem is, I came here for a fight." Her hair began to stand on end as she floated a few inches above the ground, extending her wings. The crackle of electricity and the smell of smoke filled the air, joining the two girls as they gathered power. " And if you won't fight me, I will kill you where you stand and then go back to your boy. He'll cry for a while, little pussy he is, but eventually he will be mine. And then -"

Tara's eyes shot open, red and full of malice. The fire surrounding her feet turned to a deep blue, and she bared her teeth, drawing her swords from her back. Lucy grinned, living up to her surname as she drew her whips. "There we go. Let's get this party started!"

Tara flung herself at the girl, slashing her swords wildly in arcs of fire and steel. Lucy dodged, throwing herself up into the air, pirouetting as she swung her whips down on the exposed back of the girl. The force of the blow slammed Tara into the ground, and she winced, quickly getting up and throwing a wave of black flames at the girl. The attack caught the airborn girl in the chest, sending her flying into the air. "Oh, this'll be fun!" Lucy yelled, and Tara merely snarled in answer, too taken up in rage to speak. Tara leaped off the ground, and they clashed once more.

The fight turned into a swirling hurricane of color, black, red, silver and purple mixing together as they clashed, whip meeting sword, fist meeting flesh, bone smashing bone as they slammed together, then apart, then together again. Lucy was laughing like a madwoman, blood and spittle flying from her lips as she enjoyed the best fight she had ever had. Tara simply raged - at this girl who had taken Jack from her twice, who had said those terrible things, who thought herself better than her. The safe she and Jack had struggled to make had bent, broke, and melted under a withering storm of pure black fire, born of rage.

The ice itself burned and crackled with thunder, the girls resorting to fists as their weapons left them, flying away into the distance with the massive blows that each girl had landed. They locked into a deadly embrace, Tara swinging her fist wildly as she held onto the black - haired girls arm, furious at what seemed like Lucile's inability to feel pain. They were just feet off the ground, and Lucy slammed her hand into the other girls stomach, sending her flying away. They both landed roughly, Tara on one knee, Lucy stumbling to the side, still chuckling.

Tara glared at her, clutching her stomach from the force of the blow, then made to stand up. She tripped, falling to the ground, suddenly feeling weak... and cold. So very, very cold. She looked at her hands, and they came away red. The hilt of the knife protruding from her gut attested as to the reason why, and she sighed. "Fuck. Not again." She coughed, glaring at the other girl.

"I guess its a good thing my sister gave me that knife, yeah?" Tara glared, vision slowly dimming, and Lucy simply stuck her tongue out. "Alls fair in love and war, hun. And this sure isn't love." Tara raised her hand slightly, giving the other girl a rude guesture as she passed out. Lucy immeditately slumped down to the ground. "Aw... hell, she packs a punch. Used up most of my power just healing." She looked at the other girl, then began to panic as she watched Tara's hair fade from red to black, her jeans and shirt fading into a worn shift. Blood stained the front of it, and she whistled for her horse. "Damn, damn, damn. I didn't know she wouldn't just heal it! Pitch is not going to be happy..." She hurridley ran over, picking the girl up and putting her on the back of her horse.

"Just... Fly on autopilot, ok? Im busy." The horse snorted, taking off into the air. Lucy looked at the rapidly spreading pool of red, then quickly tore one of her sleeves off, pressing it against the wound. Clouds and stars flew by, but all she could see was that red stain and how it had stopped spreading.

Jack looked up as a purple horse flew through the cave entrance, and he glared as he noticed the girl who had shot him. Pitch stood up, brushing dirt off of his cloak, clearing his throat. "I trust everything went alright?" He said, walking to slowly. He quickly turned to the side as Lucy practically sprinted past him, carrying what Jack now noticed as a girl over her shoulder, setting her down in front of him.

"Ok, frosty. I sure as hell hope you know how to heal her. Her powers apperantly dont include healing herself, so you better have a damn good idea!" Lucy said quickly, stepping back. Jack looked at the girl suddenly recognizing who it was. The lack of red hair and the brown eyes had thrown him off, but no doubt about it, this was Tara. He smiled, then noticed the crimson that stained her abdomen.

His smile faded as he looked down. "Pitch, do you have any torches? A match, fire, something burning? I need it _now._" Pitch didn't hear him, standing over the still form of his sister.

"T... Tara?" He said, once hand over his mouth the other held out before him. "I... she can't be here. She's dead!" He damn near fell over as Jack shouted at him.

"Well, get over it. She's going to die again if you don't hurry up!" That snapped Pitch out of his reverie. He looked up, nodding quickly. "Fire, matches, torches, whatever. Now." Pitch turned, running full speed at a dark corner. He disappeared, looking for what Jack had requested. Jack looked back up to the other person in the room, who had stepped back aways.

"I'm so sorry... It didn't occur to me she wouldn't be able to heal herself. I -" Jack just shook his head.

"Apologize to her later. Did you put pressure on the wound on the way here?" She nodded slowly. "I'm going to have to ask you to do it again. My hands are... tied." He said, smirking slowly. He flinched, shocked, as two bolts of lighting shattered the chains at his wrists. Jack wasted no time, dropping to his knees, pressing his hands over the wound. He put his ear over her mouth, then smiled slightly. There was air flowing - not much, but enough to dispel his immediate worry.

Pitch returned, startling Lucy, bearing a match, and an unlit torch. Jack took both, telling the others to stand back as he struck the match against his arm, lighting it. He took a deep breath. "No idea if this will work..." He mumbled, lighting the torch. It burst into flames, the bright light causing them all to wince. He took a deep breath, then pushed the torch near Tara's wound.

At first, nothing happened. Jack watched, anxious, but then the fire flickered heavily. It reversed, seeming to burn _down_, pulling itself into the wound. The fire went out, and a red glow came from Tara, and she rose slightly into the air. The blood around the wound pulled itself inward, the wound closing in seconds. Her hair grew red at the roots, returning to its usual candle - like form, and her worn, grey shift became a beautiful red dress. She dropped back down, the red glow fading, and Jack quickly caught her in his arms. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you..." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

Lucy gasped in pleasure in the corner, a rush of power filling her. Jealousy, pure and sweet, poured from someone in the room. She lived off of it, fed off of it, and while walking through middle schools was fun and all, nothing beat the rush of power that came from a jealous immortal. She purred, her eyes closed, as that immortal turned to her. When she opened her eyes, Pitch was just inches from her face, his sythe drawn and pointed at her neck.

She gasped, pressing herself farther up against the wall. Her horse neighed, and Pitch cast his hand out, black sand swamping over it, rendering it immobile. "I told you to _leave her unharmed._" He said, pressing his blade hard enough to draw a single drop of blood. She resisted the urge to swallow, knowing that it could spell a lot more pain than she wanted.

She decided not to give him any excuses, and instead just said "Sorry?" That was a mistake. Pitch leaned forward, pressing her even farther back, the drop of blood becoming a trickle.

"You have no idea how much I want to kill you right now. You have not a single clue. If you so much as lay a hand on my sister ever again, I will end you where you stand. Do you hear me?" He whispered through clenched teeth, staring at the girl on the end of his blade.

"Your... sister?" Lucy said slowly. "Pitch, I didn't know. You should have told me that before -"

"Get out of my sight." He said, withdrawing his blade. Lucy stared at him, curious, until he shouted in her face. "**Now.**" She nodded, fleeing from the room. A displeased Pitch she could handle. But an angry Pitch was a very, very scary thing indeed.

Pitch sighed, dispelling his sythe, looking towards the fleeing girl. Well, now that cat was out of the bag. He steamed, thinking of any way to get out of it, and sighing again as he thought of none.

"Thats a big sigh." A familiar voice said behind him, and he froze. "Anything particular on your mind?" He turned slowly around, and was suddenly wrapped in the very warm arms of a girl he thought was dead, who he never really realized how much he missed until right this moment. He slowly wrapped his arms around his sister, then squeezed her tight, tears running down his face as everything he had lived and died for stood right before him.

"Good to see you again, Pitch." She said, softly, and he felt her warm tears on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers, stroking her hair slowly.

"Good to see you too, Tara."


End file.
